Untouchable
by TwilightCakes
Summary: Renesmee can't decide where she fits in and most importantly - who she should love. She is growing up and things are changing fast between her and her best friend Jake. Will she let him in before something else gets in the way first?
1. Prologue

_Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting  
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,  
and I say it's all right  
Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles_

_ ~*~_

Prologue

* * *

He stood against the back wall of the house, staring out the wall of glass windows that overlooked the backyard that stretched to the river. Frowning, he watched the russet skinned boy bend his arms and swoop up his daughter as she squealed in delight. Lifting her up to ride on his shoulders, his sinewy arms secured her there tightly as he loped through the grass that needed mowing.

In the back of his mind, he could hear his family returning from their hunt that he had chosen to opt out of that day. Specifically, he could hear the soft gait of one vampire in particular that he was happy to have return home to him.

"You know, frowning makes that pretty face of yours look awfully bothered. You might start getting wrinkles soon if you keep that up," he heard a velvety voice say from behind him. He turned so that she could see his side profile, and dug his eyebrows even further down.

She laughed her musical, enchanting laugh and he instantly released the muscles in his face to smile at her.

"What are you so perplexed and anxious about?" she asked, snaking her arms around his waist from behind. He grabbed her hands, securing them tightly around his torso, and sighed when she leaned her head against one of his shoulder blades.

_Bliss._

He sighed, finding it hard to fight another frown as he watched his daughter frolic with her best friend down below. The entire family plus Jacob was at the main Cullen house that day to celebrate mother's day for the first time – for Bella. Currently, everyone else was just filtering in, back from their family hunt, and Jacob and Renesmee were taking advantage of the sunny day by playing games in the backyard.

"Stop," Bella mumbled into his shirt. She unlatched herself from him and slid around to his front to look at him. He gave her an incredulous look.

"What?"

"Stop frowning at them."

"Bella, Love, how on earth did you know I was frowning?"

She gave him her annoyed, angry kitten scowl and then broke into a laugh seconds later. "Your whole body tenses up and you make a sound like you're about to growl, that's how I know." She leaned against the windows and crossed her arms gracefully, giving him another 'look'.

"Vampire now, remember?" she asked with a laugh, pointing to herself. He chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, I took note."

"Edward, why are you standing up here watching our daughter and her friend play? Don't be creepy," she chided with a grin. She moved up to his side almost shyly so that she could press her lips to the exposed skin on his smooth chest. He pulled his eyes slyly away from the scene in the backyard and looked down at her, still unable to resist the pull that radiated from her mouth.

He pressed his lips against hers, once again marveling at the velvety feel of them. Uncrossing his stubborn arms, he found his hands weaving themselves into her thicker, longer, auburn locks. His left her hair and couldn't resist the urge to make their way down her pale, iron strong arms. He smiled through their kisses as he thought about how soft they were, but how they were also now steely, dangerous, potential weapons if needed.

"Something funny?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly. She bit her lip softly, the sun catching on a few of her porcelain white, razor sharp teeth. He smiled and ran the pad of his finger over her soft pink lips, and laughed softly.

"No, Bella…just musing over how my wife is now the most dangerous creature of them all," he said. She raised an eyebrow and released her lip from her teeth, sending her mouth crashing onto his once again.

She 'mmmed' pleasantly and he instantly felt goose bumps rise on his skin as his wife's hands ran down his arms to clasp around his waist. His lips crashed into hers again and again, and he gently grabbed fistfuls of her hair as he got lost in her.

Bella wasn't' the only one who was still getting used to her new body. Edward marveled in the new aspects of her beauty every day. She was still his Bella, but just…enhanced. He didn't know sometimes who enchanted him more; Bella or his new beautiful daughter, Renesmee. The only thing that was marring the otherwise picture perfect vampire life was the subject of Renesmee and her wolfy best friend.

He broke away from her painstakingly, rubbing his still-tingling lips together. Running a finger down the side of her cheek, she smiled suggestively at him and he laughed. Her newborn emotions sometimes still got the best of her, making her urges and emotions run slightly wild.

He jammed his hands in his pockets and tossed her a playful glare. "Just…watching my daughter and her _imprint,"_ he said, flourishing the word.

Bella glanced out at the yard where Jacob and Renesmee were playing, and looked back at her husband.

"You say it so…gracefully," she mused, turning her head to the side. She gave him a knowing look, and his expression changed. He instantly felt bad for mocking Jacob after all that had happened. Jacob had practically sentenced himself to death by offering to run with their daughter after the potential battle with the Volturi. It had been unknown at that point whether or not anyone else from their family would survive long enough to protect their daughter – Jacob would have been her last line of defense. Edward could not, no matter how he had painstakingly tried, berate nor belittle him for that.

"Edward…" Bella said warningly, narrowing her topaz eyes. Edward looked down at her, unable to resist the urge to touch her porcelain face again. He moved a wisp of her shimmering hair away from the skin, making it join with the rest of her wavy tresses.

"What is it?"

"I know you don't really dislike Jacob nearly as much as you would like to. I can see that much," she said.

"Yes, well…" he rolled his golden eyes and continued to watch as Jacob began tossing his little girl up in the air to catch her seconds later.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. He gave her a skeptical look, and she shrugged. "It doesn't work that way. I can't hear you, Edward, so you'll have to tell me."

He thought for a moment, trying to word his response. Bella was faster.

"Edward, we've had the war with the newborns, and now just finished with a war on the Volturi themselves. Are we to have a war against imprinting and nine month old little girls?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

Edward laughed. Another fight was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted at the moment. It seemed like his family had suffered enough fighting, stress, worry, planning and strife to last them…well, for eternity.

"No, surely not. It's just…I'm still getting used to the idea of my daughter being the imprint of a wolf. I've seen into the minds of Jacob's brothers that have imprinted for years now, and it still boggles my mind. I've seen nothing like it – ever. I'm still getting….used to the idea. My young daughter has already met her soul mate? It's just…hard for even me to process."

"Edward…"

"I spent nearly a century alone. She meets him in the first five minutes. It's still a lot to take. We don't take to change very well, do we?" he asked her in a teasing tone.

Bella looked at him with her new golden eyes, and this time it was her turn to furrow her brow.

"Edward, we've known about this since she was born. They…they're attached to each other forever. We should be happy – realistically, who else could she be with?"

"I realize what you're saying, it's just… a were wolf? I won't even bother to explain the ironies to you."

"You don't have to, Edward. This isn't a new development. We have to go along with this – he makes her as happy as she makes him, and you know this."

"I know, but…oh, I suppose you're right," he said, wiping a stray speck of dust off the otherwise clean window. "I can't expect it would have been easy for her…were Jacob not in the picture."

"Exactly. This just makes the most sense, dear. Even you must admit that."

Edward nodded, sighing. He crossed his arms and bit his lip as he continued to watch the two play in the large yard. He knew Bella was right. If Renesmee someday fell in love with a vampire, who was to say that it would be a vegetarian vampire? He wasn't sure he wanted his daughter cavorting with a vampire who preyed on humans. What if she wasn't safe with a different kind of vampire, unlike his own family? That wasn't something he looked forward to.

On the other hand, if she fell for a human, there would be no way that a human would not eventually notice that his wife or girlfriend never got cuts, never aged, and hunted forest animals. If he would be informed of her true status, he would be in danger of the Volturi finding out and having to be changed, much like his wife had. Then, they would have another vampire on their hands, which brought the problem full circle.

"We should be thankful that our daughter will be with someone…like her."

Now it was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. "You mean someone with the same chromosome count. For goodness sake, you act happy that your daughter might someday be married to a _dog._ Will we buy her a basket of Milk Bones when the puppies arrive?" he joked, a serious undertone in his voice. His wife simply growled curtly at him.

"Edward…" she whined.

"And now we have to listen to our little daughter say 'My Jacob this', and 'My Jacob that'….never in a million years…literally…a million years," he mused, rolling his own golden eyes. "Is is, quite literally, as though he is her pet."

She pressed her lips into a thin line and glared sternly at him.

He snorted, a chuckle erupting from his throat. "I'm sorry dear, it's just hard to know that my nine month old daughter is practically betrothed."

"Betrothed?"

"Yes, it means, that a young girl's parents-"

"Edward! I know what it means! I've read more old literature than you have by now I'm sure. But it's not like that. You said yourself, what if that never happens? What if they're just meant to be lifelong friends? Jacob said it could happen."

Edward looked at her skeptically.

"It is true though, even Jacob had admitted it himself. A wolf would imprint on a girl, and the relationship would be what she needed. If she needed a big brother, or a best friend, then…that's what he would be."

"That would be miserable," Bella mused sadly. Edward met her eyes and nodded slowly. "Jacob has brought that up to me before. I don't even know what I would do to stop from listening to him if that is what happened. Say Renesmee only wants him to be like a big brother to her; he would do it, because he's basically her slave and guard dog, but I am the one who would have to listen to him suffer for the rest of eternity. Jacob described it like …like it would be nothing short of sheer torture."

"Well, it would be," Bella said softly, taking one of his hands to intertwine it with her own. She glanced out the window at her daughter and smiled warmly as she watched the two of them race each other up and down the lawn. Jacob barely had to let her win Renesmee was so fast.

"Would you have been able to be…just friends with me?" she asked slowly, looking up at him.

Edward locked his jaw and raised up his chin in defiance. "If it was what I thought was best for you, then yes, I would have simply been your friend."

She frowned and gave him another 'bullshit' look.

His rebellious expression faded and his faced softened "It would have indeed been very hard, yes."

She nodded, tucking a strand of her shiny brown hair behind her ear. "Yes, I agree. So we really should…try to support this. Please Edward?"

He turned away from the window and wrapped his arms around his wife, heaving a sigh.

"I mean….we just got done with everything…" she said, referring to the almost-war with the Volturi a few months earlier. "Our lives are finally…happy, and…and normal. Well…as normal as our lives can be. I just…want to enjoy it for awhile, is that so bad?"

Edward sighed again and brushed another unruly lock of hair away from her perfect, ivory face and leaned his forehead against hers. "I agree…I want to just enjoy life for awhile."

"We can deal with Renesmee and Jake's…situation when the times comes. I have a feeling that now that all this is over and things can settle down that time will stop flying by like it has been. I want to just live our lives together and not worry for once. Even if it is only for a few years," she pointed out.

The fact that their daughter was rapidly aging had not escaped them. Their vampire eyes and minds took note of the changes to their little girl several times a day. Each time they noticed a change they would exchange little panicky looks. Even though Nahuel had assured them she would stop aging when she was seven, it still left their precious little girl with a very limited childhood.

"I know…I'll try, darling, just for you," he said, briefly touching below her chin. "I'll do it for you. But…I have to admit that I can't picture this not being a messy situation when it does play out."

"How do you figure?"

Edward shrugged, turning his head to look out the windows again. "How could it not be? How would you react if your best friend was suddenly….if he told you that you that he had been made for you? And that he knew it the day you were born? How would handle something like that?"

He looked back at her, and she bit her lip as she thought.

"And worse, what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she thinks he is forced to love her? It is undoubtedly hard telling someone news like that…it's just…big. It's a very big thing."

"I suppose…"

"It would be too much for someone so young."

Now it was Bella's turn to look out the window as she contemplated what the future could hold for her little girl and her were wolf imprint.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

He paused, unsure how his wife would take his idea. "I say…I say we do what we think is best."

"Which is?"

"I think we should tell him to wait. Wait until she's old enough to make an educated decision on what she wants to do about this imprint thing. Right now, she is extremely possessive of him, but it is only as a friend."

She frowned again, turning back to look at him. "So…you want Jacob to wait to tell her?'

He nodded. "I…love, it's the only way I can see this going well. If she knows now, or anytime soon…that's too much pressure to put on a little girl that's already got the weight of our entire family's world on her. She would be…I think it would be a lot to handle on top of everything else."

"I suppose…"

"Say we ask him to wait until she's full grown – seven, technically. By then…hopefully she will know how to handle herself well enough and she can decide what she wants to do. That way…there won't be a large expectation for her to be with him like that. He said it himself; if she only wants him as a friend, then that is what he will be to her."

"You don't think she'll be angry?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just..I just know that I don't want this put on her shoulders until she's old enough. He can wait," he added gruffly.

Bella hugged Edward tightly to her, breathing in his calming scent. "I hope we're making the right decision for this."

He stroked her hair and hugged her back tightly, still reveling in the idea that he could really _hug_ his wife, finally.

"I just want to do what's best for my daughter. Any parent would. I only get one daughter, and she only gets one childhood. I just don't' think it's right that she grow up with the added pressure of being an imprint. She's going to have enough tumultuous aspects added to her life being what she is."

Bella nodded. "What do you think Jacob will do?"

Edward looked out at the two as they flopped back on to the grass, lying next to each other all sprawled out. He could hear his daughter giggling and chatting away happily as they tried to decipher animals and shapes out of the clouds that rolled by lazily.

"I think Jacob will do whatever his imprint's vampire daddy wants him to do."

Bella laughed her musical laugh again, and he couldn't help but join in. He playfully ruffled her hair, marveling at the silky strands under his fingertips.

"I think that we're doing the right thing, I really do. She is everything to us…and I do think Jacob and I will come to an agreement."

"He respects you," Bella pointed out. Edward nodded, but nudged her side.

"Yes, but if he knew that you felt that way he would obey you for sure. I know this. I've seen it," he said, tapping the side of his head. She smirked at him and hugged him even tighter. The stood there, in front of the windows, watching their daughter and her were wolf imprint.

Even though they had reached a decision about what to do, Edward couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach. How would Renesmee react to this news? He had a little less than six years to worry about it, and he planned to just that. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how anyone would take the news that their best friend since day one was really their soul mate that some form of old Quileute magic had formed for them. He didn't see any way that it would go as planned.

And he would be right.

Just a reminder: **YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A FAN OF THE VAMPIRE DIARIES TO ENJOY THIS STORY.**

If you ***do*** happen to like the show or the books, then you will still enjoy the story, but there is NO ELENA, NO KATERINE, and NO TVD storylines, plots, etc.

Hope you enjoyed the new added Prologue! I re-read what I had and decided that this was something that needed to be seen.

I'd adore a review if you have an extra moment : )


	2. Untouchable

_May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow to be true_

_May you always see the truth and see the light surrounding you_

_And may you stay forever young_

_Forever Young – Bob Dylan_

_~*~_

First off and foremost: **YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A FAN OF THE VAMPIRE DIARIES TO ENJOY THIS STORY.**

If you ***do*** happen to like the show or the books, then you will still enjoy the story, but there is NO ELENA, NO KATERINE, and NO TVD storylines, plots, etc. I just borrowed two of the shows *ahem* sexy brothers for inspiration. It also gives you some pretty hot eye candy while picturing the story.

Thank you to my beta, **Rain-It-Shall **for beta-ing this story for me – she stays up way too late and puts off her homework just to get chapters done for you guys, so she rocks.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter One – Untouchable

She dreams. And tonight she dreams _well_.

Renesmee was the only member of the Cullen family that had the ability to sleep, and even better - to _dream_, and she took full advantage of that. Especially now.

_She ran, the pads of her feet barely touching the mossy forest floor, the quick flutter of her speeding heart the only sound besides the heavy pants of the shape-shifter that followed her. She sped past countless bushes, forest streams and trees, slowing only until she heard him behind her. She sped up again with a soft giggle, continuing their playful game of cat and mouse. _

_He was the cat, and she was the mouse, and this particular mouse wanted nothing more than to be caught. _

_Currently, she was winning as she loped through the forest in what would look to human eyes like fast forward on a television. Not wanting to get that far ahead of him ever, to risk losing him for even a split second, she glanced over her shoulder to ensure he was still chasing after her in continuation of their playful game. Even in wolf form she was tied to him. Bound to him. _

_She suddenly slowed, wanting to appreciate the sheer beauty of the moment. Closing her eyes, she relished the feeling of the tree branches and greenery as they brushed past her stone-like body. _

_All at once, she stopped as she heard the familiar shimmer of her wolf, phasing back into human form in the bushes behind her. He appeared from behind his makeshift privacy curtain of the thick, mossy underbrush of the Washington forest. His warm brown-eyed gaze met hers as they first took in each other and then the scenery around them. _

_"Where are we?" she asked, her voice like singing bells in the wilderness. _

_She turned to survey the scenery that they now found themselves in. This was an unfamiliar place - strangely comforting yet new. _

_Jacob, now in human form, smiled at her slyly as he sauntered up to her and into the light. He had to have known how exquisite he appeared to her now as he approached, the sunlight catching his brilliant white teeth when he smiled sheepishly at her. Renesmee gasped softly to herself as the warm beams of sunlight hit his beautiful, russet form. _

_"Somewhere I've been before..." he breathed. He motioned for them to walk further into the meadow that was tucked far up into the mountains above her hometown. _

_Renesmee looked around her, taking in the beautiful meadow that they were now standing in. Secretly, she was just enthralled with the idea of being somewhere secluded and this wondrous with Jacob. _

_"It's beautiful," she said. "Have I been here before?" she asked, searching her sharp memory for this place. _

_Wildflowers twinkled in the sunlight, their vivid hues reflecting a rainbow of colors off of the luminescent petals that adorned them. A pair of sparrows danced together in the air above their heads, and the sun shone brilliantly through the thick trees that lined the edges of their haven in the mountains. Her breath caught in her throat at the sheer wonder of it all. This meadow glowed with happiness...and love. How had she never been to this place before? _

_Jacob shook his head in reply. "I thought you would like it...was I right?"_

_She nodded silently, suddenly unaware of her breathtakingly beautiful surroundings; now only aware of the magnificent creature in front of her._

_"Jake, why are you just showing me this now? Right before you have to leave me..." she trailed off sadly, moving closer to him._

_"I know I have to physically leave soon, which is why I wanted to bring you here," he replied softly. "I'll never be far away from you ...we'll always be together, especially in our hearts." _

_"I don't understand, Jake." Why would he bring her to this place and make her fall even more in love with him before leaving her? Again, she took a bold step forward. _

_Jacob bowed his head and mirrored her movement, stepping closer. She heard his breath hitch in his throat as he inhaled her sweet scent. _

_She too, felt hers stop shortly as she caught a whiff of his clean, woodsy pine smell. His dark eyes flickered up to hers, catching her staring at him in wonder._

_"I won't ever leave you, Ness, and please believe me when I say that," he replied, his voice strong and sure in her ears. _

_"But, what about college?" she asked, her brown eyes growing wide with confusion. Jake had been planning on going to college for almost two years now - it was his only other dream besides becoming Alpha of his now complete pack. _

_"I'll never leave you, Renesmee," he said, placing his hand on her chest, just above her heart. Innocent enough of a touch, but it set her icy skin ablaze and made her inhale deeply, her eyes closing ever so slightly. She felt the tips of her ears burn with excitement and lust as he called her the 'proper' version of her name, as her mother once said. Her copper hair blew in the soft breeze, swirling their scents around them. _

_As she inhaled the two, she couldn't help but think how different they were - his, a woodsy, fresh rain smell, complete with a cinnamon-like tinge that burned her nose slightly in the most delightful way, and hers, which he had always described as a 'cool mix of freshly fallen snow, honey, and cupcakes that my mom used to make for my sisters birthdays.' She couldn't help but think how different the two were, but how similar. Neither one belonged in normal society - him a shape shifting werewolf, and her a half breed vampire and human mix. _

_"Renesmee, I brought you here today to tell you..."_

_"Tell me what Jake? Tell me what?" she prodded, stepping close enough to run her hands down his blazing hot arms. He shuddered from the pleasure that her cool, yet comforting touch brought him. _

_"I....I just wanted to bring you here because this place seems to have magical powers."_

_"Magical powers?" Renesmee repeated, a small giggle sneaking itself into her tone. _

_Jake smiled down at her sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," he replied. "It's a place where..." he paused, as if to collect his scattered thoughts. _

_"It's a place where there are no shape shifters, no vampires and no half-breeds...only two beings who care for each other."_

_Renesmee looked up at him into his warm, chocolate eyes - eyes not so different from the ones she inherited from her mother. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at him, speechless. Never had such beautiful words been uttered to her. _

_All of her life she had felt like her one-of-a-kind status had not really been as exciting as her family made is sound - instead she had felt isolated in a world where everyone else seemed to have a solid foundation. _

_She looked at him expectantly to continue, and he seemed to pick up on her need for him._

_He ran his hot fingertips over her shoulders, down her arms, and slowly picked up her hands to hold in his. _

_"Renesmee, this is a place where there aren't any labels on who we are and...most importantly...how we feel. I brought you here...kinda hoping that maybe this is the one place I could bring you to show you that even sometimes the things we think are out of reach and...untouchable...are really quite..." he leaned closer to her, his eyes slowly dropping down to meet her expectant gaze, "possible."_

_For what felt like the thousandth time that day, her breath hitched in her throat as she realized exactly what it was that he was hoping to communicate to her._

_"Jake..." She gazed at him, her eyes conveying her feelings. "This is beautiful....all of it."_

_Jacob smiled at her, his hands tightening on hers as he felt them between their now seemingly blazing bodies. Her hummingbird-like heart seemed to skip a few thrumming beats before it sped up to an even faster speed. Jake smiled faintly as he leaned closer to her, their bodies now touching in the slightest way. _

_Out of the corner of her warm brown eyes, she saw two yellow butterflies bouncing through the air, swirling and spiraling up towards the clouds. She smiled as she compared them to how her heart felt at the moment - she felt as if she was slowly but surely floating blissfully towards the heavens. _

_Jacob was now just mere inches from her face, his sweet, musky breath blowing on her face in quick anticipation of what was to come. She smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up just ever so slightly, not wanting to move them too much for fear of breaking the blissful trance they were now locked in as they moved towards each other._

_She felt her cool body shiver as his blazing hot skin touched her – first her arms, then her waist, locking her tight against his body. Her skin exploded when he finally pulled her flush against him. Licking her lips, she glanced down from his eyes to look at his mouth, greatly anticipating what was to come. _

_She exhaled and let her heavy eyelids droop, silently cursing herself for missing one instant of his undeniable beauty as he stood there before her, his skin glowing as the sun beams were absorbed into his perfect skin. Renesmee bit her lip as she felt wetness begin to pool in-between her legs – she knew he would smell her arousal instantly. _

_He inhaled deeply, his nostrils widening slightly as he breathed. "You want me as much as I've been wanting you it seems…" he replied softly, his voice ridden with lust for her. _

_She nodded wordlessly, her eyes suddenly shy. Feeling bold, she pressed herself tighter to his warm body, silently begging for a response from his._

_Both of their hearts were beating furiously in their chests as he leaned in. "I've been waiting so long..." he murmured. Renesmee stopped breathing completely in anticipation of his lips softly brushing against hers. _

"Oh, holy crap!" her aunt Alice squeaked in suspense, dropping her hand.

"Huh?!" Renesmee started, sitting straight up in her bed, startled beyond belief. She looked around frantically, still sure for an instant that she was in the meadow with Jacob. Her bedroom was cloaked in the scent of her obvious arousal, and instantly she felt her cheeks start to fill will blood as she blushed scarlet.

She yanked her hand back from the edge of her bed where it had been to cradle it against her chest protectively.

Her eyes darted around her bedroom before she met the golden ones of her aunt, who had skittered away in surprise and was now sitting sheepishly on the end of her bed.

"Alice!" she screeched, her brown eyes going wide with rage and embarrassment. She had caught her favorite aunt red-handed watching her dream.

"I'm sorry, love!" Alice replied, burying her face in her hands. Shamefully, she peeked between her long, white fingers. "I'm so sorry, Renesmee, but I couldn't help myself!" she trilled. Alice's eyes pleaded for forgiveness, but she was still upset about her aunt watching her basically have a sex dream about her best friend. And her room still _reeked_ with physical proof of what she had been dreaming about. Not good.

She was used to having her family act extremely overprotective of her for her entire life – but that didn't mean that it didn't get old every once and awhile. Her half human, half vampire status meant that she didn't get a 'normal' teenage life or a 'normal' vampire life either. As much as she yearned for a generic ordinary upbringing, she got just the opposite.

Her mother, Bella, would worry incessantly about her not running too far on her hunts. Her father would read the minds of her wolf-pack friends and Jacob to make sure she was perfectly safe in their care, and wouldn't hesitate to let a challenging growl out if he heard anything he didn't like. Her aunt Alice would scour the future in her visions for hours, even if it did give her headaches. Her uncles, Jasper and Emmett, wanted to spend hours with her in the backyard showing her how to fight off other vampires. Rosalie constantly reminded her of how to act like a lady and to never hesitate to remind people when she wasn't being treated so.

Needless to say, Renesmee didn't exactly have much leeway when it came to doing as she pleased. If she got to escape on a daily run or hunt with Jacob it was always a welcome freedom, not that he was much less protective.

Jacob had always made it a priority to look just one step ahead of her and make sure she wasn't in any danger, but he still always made sure that they had fun. He took her cliff diving on First Beach, they took runs all the way up to Canada, and they had definitely taken turns play-fighting with each other. Not that she minded – her outings with Jacob were always exhilarating and challenging to her, and he didn't make it feel like a babysitting expedition, which was what it really was.

It had always just been different when it was Jacob watching out for her – he had a way of doing so that made her feel protected and special instead of feeling smothered like she did around her family members.

"Nessie…" Alice whined.

Renesmee rolled her eyes, throwing her covers back before exhaling sharply and running her hands through her penny colored hair. She glared up at her aunt, who was looking at her with a grimace as she bit her granite lip with her teeth.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

Signing again, partly because she was still horrified from being caught dreaming about her best friend finally kissing her and partly because she was annoyed at having to wake up so early. She threw back her covers and stood slowly, taking a human moment to take in what had just happened.

Renesmee's life was full of 'half human' and 'half vampire' moments that she had to take - it was one of the pains of being a half-breed.

"I wasn't trying to spy..." Alice assured her, prodding around verbally to try and gauge how upset her niece was with her. Renesmee finally met the warm eyes of Alice, and she tried to smile weakly. She knew that her aunt meant no harm or embarrassment, despite the fact that she was thoroughly humiliated. At least it hadn't been someone like Emmett, or even worse, her father Edward. Alice had taught her many tricks to help keep her father out of her head over the years of her short existence, but nothing was ever fool-proof.

So far, she was pretty sure that no one in her family, including Jacob himself, had any idea exactly what kinds of feelings she had developed in the past few months. They were, should she say, not so 'friend'-ly type feelings?

"I know, Alice, but..." She twirled in her place, throwing the pillow she had shoved off the bed in her sleep back onto the bed.

"You just have to be careful, what with my dad and everything...if he knew..." she trailed off, eying the vampire that stood before her. Not even crafty Aunt Alice could keep everything from her mind-reading father.

"Edward doesn't know anything, relax," Alice chirped quickly.

"Good, because we would both get our heads torn off if he did."

"Us and a certain four-legged friend of yours," Alice added, watching as her niece made her bed. Renesmee's eyes widened in horror just at the idea of her father knowing about her childish crush.

"I don't sleep in my room here so that you can spy on me, Alice," Renesmee reminded her with another scowl.

Alice shifted uneasily and Renesmee frowned again and almost laughed at seeing her vampire aunt attempt to fidget.

"You don't have to pretend to fidget for my sake."

Hurt was reflected in Alice's wide eyes. "I wasn't…really…" she trailed off, averting her eyes from Renesmee's.

"You guys have to start giving me some privacy! I would have just stayed at the cottage while mom and dad are in Denali if I would have known I would be this much trouble…"

"You're no trouble!" Alice quickly interjected, holding up her hands. Renesmee crossed her arms and smirked.

"But staying in the cottage alone would have been better than you seeing….what you saw," she finished uncomfortably.

"I know, I'm sorry…But we love it when you use your room at our house, Nessie. It's so great to have you here when your parents go out of town," Alice whined.

"I know, Alice, but no one was supposed to know about Jacob! How would I ever live that down in this house?"

"I know," Alice repeated, her eyes falling to the floor sadly.

Jacob had been a steady fixture in her life for as long as she could remember. Not that she didn't expect him to be; he was her mother's best friend after all. They had even been friends when her mother was a human, before Jacob knew he could phase. Renesmee was secretly proud that the two of them hadn't let the fact that they were now natural enemies come between them. Sure, she knew Jacob probably didn't want to spend most of his time babysitting her as she was growing up, but she would have wanted to be around her best friend too, no matter what the cost. She couldn't blame him one bit for wanting to hang around her mother.

She walked to the other side of her bed, pulling the comforter up before arranging the pillows that went on top of it, scowling at her aunt. She wanted Alice to squirm for at least a little while. Walking to the windows, she pulled open the long, golden curtains and observed the dull, rainy day that Forks had to offer.

A rush of air in the large, now bright room made Renesmee purse her lips as Alice flitted to her side.

"I can keep a secret," Alice assured her, touching her niece's arm softly.

"Some secrets aren't yours to keep, Alice!" She hissed, her bronze curls flying as she whipped her head around to look at her aunt. Stalking back to her bed, she picked up a golden pillow and began fiddling with one of the tassels that hung from a corner.

"I know, which is why I'm so sorry that I peeked...I couldn't help it." She gave her a knowing smile, silently assuring her that her child-like crush on her best friend was strictly in their confidence. "I just can't help it sometimes; I'm really very sorry, Ness."

Renesmee dropped the pillow she was absentmindedly fluffing from her bed. She never would have guessed that the rest and escape that sleep could provide would be irritating. Living in a house where she was the only one who did so made her quite aware that it was a gift not to be taken lightly for a half-vampire. She walked over and pulled her aunt down to sit on her bed with her, sensing that her aunt had more to say.

Alice, taking the opportunity to speak, tried her best to reassure her niece.

"You know, the only reason I'm curious about dreams is because I've never had one," she said softly, her voice barely audible.

Renesmee nodded, feeling her embarrassment begin to fade away. She knew that Alice had no memories of her human life, thus no memories of sleep or dreaming. Feeling her heart ache a little for her aunt's loss, she continued to listen.

"I don't hold that against you, Alice, I honestly don't…but I just need some privacy right now, and no one in this house seems to understand that."

Alice blinked her golden eyes, staying silent as her niece gently ranted from the bed.

"I know that being a half-breed makes me a target for certain things…it's just that…I've made a lot of sacrifices to live this way. I agreed not to go to normal school for at least a few more years, and I never made a big deal of it. I agreed to not have any close friends outside the family," she replied.

"But you have me!" Alice trilled, cocking her head to the side.

Renesmee felt herself smile. "Yes, I have an aunt who spies in on my dreams!" she joked. Alice's face fell, and Renesmee knew that she truly felt bad for her accidental spying.

"You know I'm sorry, right?" Alice asked softly.

Renesmee nodded. "I still don't see what the fascination is!"

Alice scooted closer to her and sighed, resting her cool hand on hers. She inhaled, pausing to think a moment before she spoke again. Renesmee watched as her normally chatty aunt turned quiet while she organized her thoughts.

"Imagine never knowing the peace..." she reached up to softly stroke Renesmee's face again, "and tranquility that it can bring. I'm just curious Ness, and I would never tell anyone what you dream about."

Renesmee felt her face begin to soften and relax, a contrast from the shame that had seemed to burn her cheeks since she had first been woken up by her aunt. It wasn't uncommon for her family members, who were all incapable of sleep, to use their stealthy abilities to gently lift her hand up to their stony cheeks as she slept. For most of her life, she had become accustomed to her family watching as she chased butterflies, explored forests, ran with her parents, and frolicked with Jacob in her peachy colored, cloud-filled dreams.

Only recently had the tenor of these dreams changed, and her family's innocent, almost nightly past-time had become a problem.

A really big problem.

* * *

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

If you would be so kind to please stop and leave me a quick review, I would greatly appreciate it! Annndddd you would pretty much inspire me for a week. Seriously, it would make my day! Please?

I have also gotten a beta, **rain-it-shall**, and she is graciously going through what I have written so far and helping me make more improvements as we go along. We are going to go through chapters 1-3 before I update again, but never fear! In the editing process I have been fixing and adding scenes to make the story more understandable and have better flow, so please be patient!

Also, if you leave a review with suggestions I would love to hear your thoughts on things that you like, dislike, are confusing, want to see more of, etc. I can't write it if you don't review it!

Thanks : )


	3. like a distant diamond sky

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_

_All the time how could you know baby?_

_You belong with me_

_You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift_

~*~

*****Author's Note*****

**Okay, here we get to see Jacob (in the flesh!) and see the rest of the Cullens. This chapter sets us up for some big time action, so enjoy!**

Chapter 2 – like a distant diamond sky….

After she had been caught dreaming about her best friend by her aunt Alice, Renesmee had only expected that things would be a little different around the Cullen household. However, her favorite aunt had not let her down by spilling her deep dark secrets to the others.

Alice left soon after to give her some rare privacy and Renesmee was happy to have it. She walked around her room, mindlessly tidying up as she put off going downstairs for breakfast. She didn't really want to know whether or not Alice could keep a secret just yet.

When she was finished, she glanced around her tidy bedroom with a look of satisfaction. Her room was done in a similar theme to the rest of the house; the walls were painted a warm, golden shade and her carpet was a complimentary honey color. Her bed and thick curtains were a pretty mix of white and gold, a stark contrast to the usually gloomy, thick grey clouds the adorned the skies of Forks, Washington.

Sighing, she knew she had put off breakfast for too long. Her family would be waiting.

Her tight-knit family joined her around the breakfast table that morning as she ate, as was tradition. In a household where she was one-of-a-kind, most of the time her normal, simple habits were a topic of interest, especially between her aunts and uncles. Unfortunately, these were simple things such as eating, sleeping, and using the bathroom.

Needless to say, there had been a plethora of embarrassing situations growing up in her household.

Renesmee had tip toed into the kitchen that morning, her warm brown eyes darting around the large, white tiled room, gazing at her aunts and uncles who had gathered to keep her company while she ate her food.

Emmett was standing at the counter, his nose buried in the sports section of the morning paper. If he noticed her arrival, he didn't acknowledge it. Renesmee felt herself exhale a little. If her uncle Emmett knew about her secret, he would have been bellowing it from the top of the snow-tipped mountains that weren't far from their remote home. Jasper stood at the wall of windows, surveying the forest as Alice danced to stand beside him. They were probably planning a hunt later. Carlisle and Esme stood behind the stove that was on the center island of the large white kitchen, bent over a large skillet containing scrambled eggs for their granddaughter.

"Good morning," Carlisle greeted her.

"Hey grandpa," she said, slipping up onto a stool at the counter. "Any word from mom and dad?"

"They began their run home from Denali last night," he replied, his golden eyes dancing as he smiled at her.

"Well what's taking them so long? Usually it only takes a few hours for them to run home. What's the hold up?"

Her parents had decided to go visit the Denali's a few days ago. The Cullens usually ran up there in pairs for visits, and they had been doing so frequently. As Renesmee understood, things had been much more cordial in the vampire world since her birth, and the Cullens were determined to keep up the bonds they had made the last time the Volturi had come.

"They're..._running_," Jasper added, giving her a slightly awkward wink.

"Oh." Renesmee knew what _that _meant. She chose not to push the subject further.

Her parents went for a lot of 'runs', but she was thankful that everyone in the family seemed to keep what her parents were really doing labeled as 'going for a run'. Although she was only half vampire, her hearing and senses were very much like those of a vampire and that meant she could hear her parents very well...at all times of the night. They had only been married just under seven years and that was considered very much still in the 'honeymoon' stage of their vampire marriage.

The look on her face must have been one of disgust - her uncle Jasper chuckled. "Aren't you glad you have a have a room at our house, darlin?" He asked, his soft southern accent caressing the words.

She smiled at her uncle. For a fierce fighter, he could be very tame and gentle, especially when it came to her.

"Yes, I am Jasper. I mean, I know that a typical vampire honeymoon lasts ten years, but really?" She made a disgusted face before sipping the juice Carlisle placed in front of her.

Her audience laughed at her joke about her parents' active sex life, giving each other knowing looks.

"Ulgh, how could I forget for a split second that I live in house full of married people!"

"It's alright honey, your parents aren't the worst...I'm just glad I can't read thoughts like your father can. Otherwise those first few years with Rosie and Em would have been torture," Carlisle replied, winking one of his golden eyes at her. Alice just snorted and looked in Rose and Emmett's direction.

"Most of us are just very happy to find someone," Carlisle explained, smiling down at Esme as she put the eggs she had made on a plate.

Renesmee just rolled her eyes. She knew that it was beautiful thing that vampires who eventually did find a mate and fall in love were in love forever - but sometimes it was hard to live with four couples of them. In fact, sometimes it got downright sappy.

"Enough with the mushy stuff!" she replied, taking another sip of her juice. It was a struggle for her to eat human food sometimes, and thinking about her parents having sex definitely didn't make it any easier on her stomach.

Sighing loudly to signify the end of the conversation, she turned her attention back to clearing her head and finishing her breakfast.

Renesmee's life was not what one would expect the life of an almost seven-year-old vampire-human to be. She lived quietly with her two parents, who seemed normal enough to her, in their cottage that was tucked away in the deep woods. Ever since the Volturi had left their family alone at the start of her short life, things had been quiet, slow, and, well - normal.

Any free time she had was always spent with Jacob, who had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. He had originally been her mother's best friend, and Renesmee knew that there had been some tensions within her family about that friendship since the start. However, her vampire family had made amends with the were wolves, and everything had been fine.

Most of her days were spent with her family members, all of which who take her education very seriously and her sponge-like mind into much consideration. Not that Renesmee minded in the least - she loved to learn new things about the world around her and the world of the past that many of her family members had lived through themselves.

Afternoons with her father had resulted in Renesmee being well versed in several foreign languages, the sciences, and the mathematics. Bella was constantly scouring Carlisle's extensive library for new works of literature for her to read, and the two spend hours discussing the classics of the past and present. Rosalie, the best musician in the family, had taught her piano and violin, and was currently teaching her how to work on anything with a motor, much to Jake's delight. That was the only thing they agreed on, as Jake owned a car repair garage in La Push. Carlisle and Jasper were her history teachers, spending hours at a time giving firsthand accounts of famous battles, plagues that had killed thousands of humans, and the reigns of kings and queens that most people could only imagine. Renesmee was anything but ill-informed of the ways of the world, but she couldn't help but long for more experiences of her own instead of just listening about others'. And that's where Jacob came in.

She had always pictured her life in the future with her best friend always by her side. She dreamed of running away with him to explore the world that she had only _heard _about.

Yearning for this desire filled her thoughts constantly - she longed to see the Philadelphia diner where Aunt Alice had waited for Uncle Jasper. The hillside caves where Carlisle had spent his first few agonizing months a few centuries ago. The dry, scorching deserts of Phoenix that had captivated her mother Bella during her early years of human life. The Chicago rooftops where her father had hidden, discovering his gifts of mind-reading. The mountains in the east where her Aunt Rosalie had saved Emmett and made her journey back home to her family to beg for his transformation so that he could share immortality with her.

Renesmee felt like each member of her family had had their own exciting, yet tumultuous past, and she couldn't help but ache for experiences like that of her own. She didn't know where these expeditions would take her, but she knew one thing - she couldn't see them happening without one other person beside her - Jacob.

"So what does my little niece have planned for the day?" Emmett asked, quickly sliding onto the stool next to her at the counter.

Renesmee rolled her eyes. What he really meant was, 'Are you going hunting and can I come?'

"I'm going hunting with Jake tonight, Uncle Emmett, and it's our last time to hunt together before he leaves for college, and, no, you CAN'T come," she replied, scooping up a forkful of eggs from her plate.

Her grandparents, Carlisle and Esme, gave each other a small smile from their positions on either side of the counter where they were preparing more food. They both knew that her Uncle Emmett wouldn't dare miss out on a chance to follow his beloved niece around for a day to playfully poke fun at and go for a run in the nearby snowy mountains, a favorite past time.

"Are you looking forward to hunting with Jacob this evening?" Carlisle asked her.

"Yes, very much," She replied, smiling to herself. "NO interruptions, either," she added, eyeing Emmett.

Her grandfather smiled, shaking his head. "You never cease to amaze me, little one."

"Why's that?"

"You never say what I think you're going to," he answered, his golden eyes dancing.

"Story of my life!" she replied, scooping another fork-full of eggs into her mouth.

"Do you want any more eggs, sweetheart?" Esme asked her. Renesmee shook her head no, reaching up to show her grandmother how full she felt at the moment. She also showed her that she didn't want to be too full to go hunting with Jacob that evening.

"I see," she replied, giving her granddaughter a secret smile. Renesmee pulled her hand back quickly, suddenly afraid that she had shown her too much.

Esme dropped her eyes to the skillet she was scraping clean, and moved to place it in the sink. Actually, Renesmee thought, if she was sure she could trust her Aunt Alice, then she knew that her loving, somewhat timid and soft-smiling grandmother would take her secret to the grave. Well, figuratively.

It was appalling how much food went to waste in that household; however, vampires that hadn't eaten anything for multiple decades took it as a personal challenge to see who could learn how to cook the best from the Food Network.

Alice watched her finish the last of the scrambled eggs on her plate and sip her juice again. Renesmee, feeling cute, smirked at her aunt.

"Want a sip?"

Alice pursed her lips, knowing that her niece was playing with her. She leaned closer to the counter where Renesmee's juice sat, sniffing daintily. Jasper watched her with amusement.

"It smells...kind of...bitter?" she guessed. Renesmee shrugged.

"It's just grape juice," she replied. "It's not bad."

"That's what you told me about V-8. You said it was like blood. You lied," Alice said with a smirk.

"It's okay, I did the same thing with Emmett and a bloody mary when he was a newborn. Didn't go so hot," Rosalie said, sticking her tongue out at her husband. He snorted and grimaced, remembering the joke.

"So you want some or not?"

Alice lowered her nose to the rim of the cup and sniffed again. Vomiting up grape juice due to her curiosity did not sound like fun.

"That's okay."

Renesmee laughed, her eyes darting around the room. It was so funny to her how they all participated in researching food and recipes, and they took cooking so seriously in that house, yet none of them ever tried a bit of it. Renesmee understood that it wasn't pleasant to have food sit in their dormant stomachs, but for her, the curiosity of trying new things is what got her to eat most of it.

"What have you got planned for this afternoon?" Alice asked her.

"Nothing really, Jake has a tribe meeting today, and those things usually take most of the day," she replied.

"Wanna go shopping?" she asked, her golden eyes gleaming. Alice had been ecstatic when she discovered one of the few traits Renesmee hadn't inherited from Bella was her hatred of shopping. No, Renesmee would always take her aunt up on a shopping trip, and with her extensive bank account, it was always interesting.

Most of the boutique owners in the city of Seattle were on a first name basis with her Aunt Alice after just a few trips to them all. Yes, they always paid special attention to the petite, striking beauty that was Alice and her dazzling black Visa with which the sky was literally the limit.

"Thanks for breakfast," she replied, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss each of her grandparents.

She threw a meaningful glance at her Aunt Alice before flitting from the kitchen at vampire speed. She was already eternally grateful to her for not blabbing about her smutty dream. Throwing open the door to her bedroom, she gasped slightly as she met a pair of bright golden eyes.

"Beat ya!" she giggled, dancing over to Renesmee's bed. Instead of throwing herself onto it, she gracefully hopped up, bouncing glee-fully.

"Aunt Alice, you're going to break _another _bed of mine before the day is over!"

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly as she bounced one final time before sitting perfectly still, her short yet slender legs crossing daintily_. It would be a cold day in hell if I could ever do anything with a quarter of the grace and poise that Alice could do. _

Renesmee got dressed quickly with her help, modeling several outfits as Alice watched with excitement, clapping softly when she settled on one that seemed to fit our shopping expedition – black leggings and a soft, emerald green tunic dress.

The two spent most of the day wandering around downtown Seattle, perusing the shops that lined the city streets. They avoided larger chain stores, much preferring the smaller, quirkier boutiques that were nestled into the bustling, rainy city. Renesmee really enjoyed her time with her aunt - Alice had always seemed to know what to say to help calm her, and after that morning she really needed it.

Her thoughts kept shifting to the dream she'd spent with Jacob. Their relationship was clearly not romantic – in fact, he had made it painfully clear that he thought of her as a little sister, and himself as an overly-protective big brother to her. Her father was constantly checking in with Jacob to make sure that his daughter was safe and not doing anything she wasn't supposed to be doing.

She could recall countless times when she and Jake would be about to go for a run, or a hunt, or even just heading to the beach in La Push and her father would sternly remind him of where they were allowed to go and what time she needed to be back. She could always tell that he was scanning his thoughts, as he did with everyone, but she knew from simple observation he was especially careful to listen to Jacob's. Of course, Renesmee didn't know why. Jake had always been cautious with her, and he was constantly looking out for her and telling her things she should or shouldn't do, much to her chagrin.

However, lately that had changed a bit. The changes were subtle, but she could see a definite shift. It could have been her imagination, but she seriously doubted it. Lately it seemed like Jacob either wanted to spend time with his pack brothers and their girlfriends, or just with her, alone. She couldn't blame him, though, for not wanting to be around her family; they were his natural enemies, after all. Even their steadily growing relationship had been somewhat strained lately, and she couldn't decide why that was.

"Oh Ness, what do you think of these?" Alice chirped, interrupting her thoughts, holding up a pair of over-the knee boots.

Renesmee looked up, smiling faintly at her aunt's choice of shoes for her.

"Something the matter?" Alice asked, her golden eyes softening a bit.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of Jacob. "No, just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

Renesmee smiled, not looking up from the display of eclectic jewelry she was surveying.

_I know if I look at her, I'll cave…_

Alice, sensing she was not going to get much of an answer, moved on, her tall boots of choice tucked under her arm.

While she was examining a rack near the front of a store, a hearty laugh caught her attention from the sidewalk outside. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, walked hand in hand down the crowded sidewalk. They stuck out to her because their moods didn't match those of the other annoyed people bustling through the busy streets. No, the cool rainy day had no effect on these two people. The guy looked down at the girl he was with, smiling warmly at something funny she said. The rain dripped off their happy faces, neither one even noticing their surroundings.

_I bet they're in love._.. Renesmee thought wistfully. _Why can't that be me and Jacob? Will he ever look at me that way?_

Once they were in Alice's car, speeding down the back roads to Forks, Renesmee leaned her head back against the seat, watching the trees and greenery flash by.

"Okay, missy, time is up. I know that forlorn look when I see it. You have to tell me before I go nuts!"

"What?"

"Your mother used to get that same look on her face when your dad went all cryptic and vampire on her…I know that look. What's wrong?" Alice asked, her voice ringing in the quiet car.

Renesmee signed. "I want to fall in love, Alice. I want to have someone to look at like you look at Jasper...like my mom looks at dad...I want to _feel_ what that's like," she admitted.

She placed her palm on her aunt's arm and shot images she had seen over the years of her married family members...kissing...holding each other...laughing...touching...the moans coming from their bedrooms late at night when they thought she was sleeping...

She pulled her hand back quickly; embarrassed that she had let that slip in there. "Sorry," she said guiltily.

"It's okay Ness," Alice replied, her golden eyes turning back to the road that was swerving and twisting below her tires.

"Why so concerned with this all of a sudden? That's the beauty of being immortal...plenty of time," she said.

Renesmee turned to look at her aunt. "It's just...imagine living with four couples who were blissfully happy, always kissing and laughing and sharing private jokes, and... _other things_...and then imagine having to live with Jasper, but he's just your friend. You couldn't do half the things with him that you wanted to, you know? Like…not just intimate things, really. Like, just holding his hand and kissing him. How would that feel?"

"You mean to have him think of me that way, or not at all?"

"Either...I mean, I don't know if Jake thinks of me that way, but I know how I feel about him. Imagine not being able to do what feels natural. It feels like we should be doing those things, Alice. But it's so confusing. He's my _best friend."_

Alice bit her lip, her eyes flashing over to Renesmee. She had strict instructions from Edward and Jacob both to never breathe a word about the imprint to Renesmee until A) Renesmee was seven-years-old, and B) It came from Jacob's mouth and Jacob's mouth only. They had all agreed on the fact that it should come from him first.

"Ness, I think you still have some time before you need to worry about that...I would just wait it out and see what a little time will do. You might be surprised what time can change."

"But Alice, I don't want to wait! I'm ready now!"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Jacob isn't ready?"

"Well...no, but...he's a guy, I mean, aren't all guys ready for this sort of thing?"

"Not necessarily."

Renesmee pressed her palm to her aunt's arm again, showing her flashes. Jacob looking at her differently than he used to...Jacob's skin feeling different on her skin...Jacob looking at her body...

"See?"

"I see....But, Ness, that still doesn't mean anything. Yet. Just give it time."

_I can come tonight, right?_

_Yes, we've been over this Quil. We need to hunt before we patrol anyway._

_Okay cool...you'll never guess what Claire did this afternoon, Jake, it was so cute-_

_Can we save the nine-year-old talk for later? I've got other things on my mind!_

_Yeah, sorry...jeez..._

The two wolves continued to run through the forest. It was twilight, and they were going to join Renesmee on her hunt.

Jacob Black bowed his head a bit as he ran, allowing his nose to touch the ground a few times to make sure they were running in the right direction. He had found a herd of young elk earlier and had been nonchalantly tracking them all day so that he knew where they would be tonight for the hunt.

He felt bad for cutting Quil off, but lately he just didn't have as much patience to hear about his best friend and his nine-year-old imprint. Sure, he loved Claire very much and thought of her almost as a little sister, but he was getting sick of listening to Quil's mushy, protective, big-brother thoughts about her. There was only so much he could take, especially given his current situation.

As he ran in the direction of the Cullen's house, his thoughts drifted to Renesmee.

_Oh, Nessie..._

_You know, you sound like a bad country song when you think her name like that. Oohhh Nessieeee…._ Quil sang in his head.

Jacob snorted at him and kept running.

Renesmee was indeed his imprint, and the rest of his pack didn't understand why he had chosen to keep that piece of important information from her for such a long time. It was a topic of much frustration when they were in wolf form, for the rest of his brothers could hear every little thought and picture that popped into his mind about her...and that was a lot.

_But it's more complicated than just telling her_, he thought to himself. He had made a promise to Edward after her birth that he would wait for her. In fact, that was the one thing they had agreed on from the start. The topic of imprinting itself was so touchy and not much was known about it to begin with; therefore, they had decided to just let things happen naturally.

As Renesmee's seventh birthday rapidly approached, he found himself getting more and more panicky whenever he thought about telling her about the imprint. Renesmee was a fierce, independent young woman who would definitely have her two cents worth of an opinion about the imprint, and he was unsure what she would say.

_Just tell her..._

_Quil, stay out of it._

_That's hard for me to do, and you know it. Every thought you have is about her._

_It is not!_

_Well, almost. Look man, I'm sorry...it's just that...I know she's not ready for it...It's just so big..._

Quil was silent. He knew the feeling. Telling a girl that she was the subject of a wolf member imprint was a huge step in the relationship that they shared. To tell someone that you were_ made_ for each other and no one else tended to put a tad bit of pressure on the relationship. Jacob snorted. And on top of that news, usually the announcement that the guy would turn into a giant, snarling, vampire-killing wolf usually sent the girl into shock.

Another aspect to add into the equation was that his imprint had no idea that she actually _was_ his imprint, and her father was a mind-reading vampire.

No, Jacob thought, this was something that was just going to have to wait.

By the time they returned home to the main house, Renesmee felt much better. Alice had sensed that she didn't want to talk any more about Jake, and she had reveled in the comfortable silence they had shared during the rest of the drive home.

"Hmm...you'd better get dressed," Alice mumbled to her as they hung the last of their new purchases in Renesmee's room.

Renesmee was lucky enough to have her own bedroom at the main house as well as one at her parent's cottage, and her family had made sure that both rooms were fully stocked to fit her needs. Renesmee loved her parents' cottage, nestled into the thick Washington forest, but it was nice to have an escape when her parents were feeling...well, rather 'newlywed-ish'.

"Already? It's not even dark yet!" She gasped, flying back to her closet.

"I see you disappearing in about ten minutes..." Alice trailed off, her eyes glazing over slightly. The more time Alice spent with Renesmee, the easier it was for her to 'see' her, which she hadn't been able to do when she was first born.

"Silly wolves, they make things so cloudy!" Alice trilled, rubbing her temples daintily.

She rolled her golden eyes and stood to pace the room. Renesmee signed happily, throwing on a faded pair of blue jeans and a loose black tank top to hunt. She hated wearing good clothes to hunt with Jacob, as they usually got dirty or ripped in the process.

She emerged from her large closet, her copper curls hanging down on both sides of her face, which was flushed with excitement for her hunt with Jacob. This was their last hunt before he went away to college in a few days, and she wanted to take full advantage of being alone in the woods with him.

"You're wearing _that?"!_ Alice asked, halting her paces across the carpet.

Renesmee glanced down at her tattered jeans and tank top, her brown eyes darting back up to meet Alice's.

"Well, yeah, I mean...Jake usually wants to run, and I just get dirty when we go through rivers and mud, and sometimes we even wrestle..." she trailed off when she saw her aunt cross her arms disapprovingly. She felt her breath hitch in her throat from excitement and anticipation of the evening ahead of her. Nothing was better than the feeling of running through the dark forest, Jacob by her side, his warm eyes smiling back at her in the night...Suddenly; she was snapped out of her hunting reverie by Alice stomping around the room in frustration.

"Nessie, if you want me to help you get his attention, you have to let me help you," She replied, retreating back into her niece's closet. She emerged a few seconds later with a pair of black skinny jeans, a long, fitted violet sweater, and a pair of sparkly black flats.

"You want me to wear designer jeans and sparkly shoes to go hunting...with Jake?" Renesmee asked, a look of shock crossing her face. Before she could speak again, her aunt had ripped the worn tank top from her body and replaced it with the form fitting sweater.

"Yes, I do!" She replied, tugging at the fabric to get it to lie perfectly on Renesmee's body. She arranged the 'V' of the violet fabric just right so that it showed a bit of cleavage. Renesmee felt herself blush as she glanced down at her somewhat new set of breasts. Growing to be almost an adult in a matter of six short years had given her little time to get used to her new woman physique.

"It's fine, you're almost seventeen!" Alice said, urging her out of her faded blue jeans. "Well, kind of," she added. Renesmee stepped into the skinny black jeans and fastened them around her slim waist, turning to admire her figure in the full length mirror that adorned the back of her closet door.

"I know, but...I just feel weird showing it off in front of Jacob," she replied, smoothing out her sweater. _My Jacob..._

She had to admit to herself that the black of the pants and the deep violet of the top made her skin look almost....ivory and beautiful instead of what she usually classified herself as- sickeningly pale. Alice helped her add a few gun-metal gray bracelets to complete her look as she stepped into her black flats.

"Accessorizing to hunt, I see?"

Both Renesmee and Alice whipped around to see Rosalie standing in the doorway of her closet.

Renesmee felt her heart rate speed up as a blush crept into her cheeks and Alice arranged and calmed her unruly curls that cascaded down her back. She swept one side off her face and secured it with a small black flower clip.

"We're just...maturing her look," Alice replied shortly, not making eye contact with her smirking sister.

Rosalie's eyes swept over her niece's body, clad tightly in stylish, designer clothes. After a few moments of scrutiny, she pursed her lips and chuckled to herself.

"Rose..." Renesmee started, giving her other aunt an exasperated sigh. She knew that Rosalie would always have a special place for her in her un-beating heart. The two had spent those first long days of her life together, Rosalie comforting her and re-assuring her as her mother 'burned' upstairs. Renesmee also knew that Rosalie wasn't too keen on her niece spending the majority of her free time with a _dog,_ as she put it, but her happiness always came first.

As if on cue, both vampire heads whipped in the direction of the windows that lined one wall of Renesmee's room, a low growl escaping from Rosalie's lips.

Renesmee inhaled slightly with excitement, pausing slightly to press her palm against Rosalie's cheek.

_Please be nice, Aunt Rose..._ she asked her silently, before bounding to the window. She felt a shy smile creep onto her lips as she looked down two stories to the woods below her. And there he was.

Jacob stood, clad in only a pair of torn off, worn shorts below her window. The silky moonlight seemed to bounce off of the green leaves and mossy branches around him, but somehow stuck to his dark body, giving it an unnaturally appealing glow. Jacob smiled up at her, his white teeth gleaming in the soft glow of the moon, just like in her dream. If her heart normally fluttered like a hummingbird as her family said, right now it felt like a jet liner about to take flight.

Renesmee barely acknowledged her aunts' reactions to the exchange happening before them; Rosalie snorted in disgust and Alice let out a peaceful sigh of longing. No, nothing like that mattered to her now. She quickly leaped to the door leading to the balcony that ran the entire back length of the house, jumping softly to the mossy ground below.

"I thought you would never get down here," Jacob's voice broke the silence of the dewy forest around them.

"I thought you'd never _get _here!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her best friend. Instantly, her already speeding heart seemed to go _fas_ter, if that was even possible.

Jake let a loud laugh escape his lips as he threw his arms up in mock exasperation while she hugged him tightly. He rolled his dark eyes and let his arms wrap around her as well, breathing in her scent, a smile still on his lips. Her heart beat even faster and she blushed, knowing he could definitely hear it with his sharp senses.

They hugged 'hello' for a moment before pulling back to look at each other. "Whoa, where's the fashion show?" he asked, his eyes running up and down her body.

Renesmee felt her cheeks start to flush with embarrassment. He had noticed her attempt to catch her attention. She watched as his eyes ran from her feet all the way up to her face, pausing when they fell her on chest. His appreciative gaze quickly met her eyes, and he sucked in a quiet breath as if to clear the image from his head.

_Score... _she thought to herself.

"Yeah, you planning on hitting the town without us?" another voice asked.

Renesmee and Jacob both dropped their arms that were casually touching at the sound of the third person. Quil appeared from behind a tree nearby, smiling widely.

"Oh, hey Quil!" Renesmee replied, quickly side-stepping away from Jacob. "I didn't know you were hunting with us."

"Yeah, Claire had to go to bed _early,"_ Jacob teased his friend and fellow pack member. He punched Quil in jest on the shoulder, sending the other russet-skinned boy into a bout of chuckles.

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Quil replied. His eyes met Renesmee's and she flashed him a sympathetic look. Even though Claire was now almost nine now, it still wasn't easy for him to deal with the questioning looks constantly being directed at his frozen, eighteen-year-old body.

Jake continued to laugh at his pack member and other best friend as he motioned for the three of them to head deeper into the woods. The group passed over the Cullen's lawn at a slow jog as Quil and Renesmee teased each other - him about her new clothing, and her about his nine-year-old 'girlfriend'.

Jake rolled his eyes again as they broke into the forest, his eyes catching hers as she continued to giggle about the troubles of imprinting. He suddenly felt a pull in his chest as he caught Renesmee looking over at him, making their way through the forest.

_Why is she looking at me like that? Is that...longing I see on her face? Why hasn't she ever looked at me like that before? _he thought as her brown eyes flashed back to the trees in front of her.

He had to admit, his 'secret' imprint, as he referred to her in his own mind, looked stunning in the bright violet shade of her sweater. It reminded him of the tiny violets that grew in the forest at the first signs of spring, almost as if to remind them that warmer weather was on its way to the frigid forests of Washington State. His thoughts prompted him to think of another one of his problems - How was he going to tell Renesmee that she was his imprint? His mind wandered to her father, the mind-reading vampire, and how it was getting harder and harder to hide the lusty thoughts about his now teenage-looking daughter.

_I'm only a man for shit's sake_..., he thought. _Daddy vamp can't expect me to ignore that fact forever, especially when his daughter dresses like that. Wait a second, is she showing cleavage?!_ His mind screamed at him. His eyes darted to Quil, who was running on her other side, still laughing and joking. Jacob felt like he was a million miles away as he thought.

_Did I just see him look at her chest?! _He thought, a small growl escaping his lips. His eyes widened a bit as he realized both his companions had heard him.

Jacob casually shook his head at Renesmee and Quil, trying to brush off the slip. Renesmee took this opportunity to bolt ahead of them into the woods, her body starting to blur as she increased her speed. Jacob just shrugged off Quil's questioning look and began to run faster as well.

The pulling feeling in his chest slowly turned into one of guilt. He felt his stomach start to churn as he thought about the topic of imprinting. So far, Renesmee only thought that Jacob hung around her from a friend perspective; always wanting to be near her and her mother. He and Bella had been best friends for years before Renesmee was born. However, the feelings of guilt he was developing had been increasing lately as he continued to put off confessing to her the real situation at hand - that _she_ was actually his imprint. Signing, he halted, signaling to Quil that it was time to phase and get this show on the road. Maybe Quil could offer him some advice once their minds were connected and Renesmee couldn't hear.

He could only hope that his friend would help him deal with his secret feelings. _This is driving me crazy.._

**Alright everyone, review time! This is only the 2****nd**** chapter, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**Remember my beta, Rain-it-Shall, is still going through the chapters I had originally posted (and some new ones!) and we are fixing the story and giving it better flow. They will be reposted when we feel they have reached their potential. **

**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it, and if you did, please take a second and review!**


	4. I'm reaching out

_Cause you're a human supernova_

_You're an angel with wings afire  
A flying, giant friction blast  
You walk in clouds of glitter and the sun reflects your eyes  
And every time the wind blows, I can smell you in the sky_

_Supernova – Liz Phair_

~*~

* * *

_**Chapter 3 – I'm reaching out**_

**Okay kids, here we go. We're really getting into some of the main issues here with this one, so hold on! As always much thanks to my beta Rain-It-Shall! I hope you guys enjoy, and happy reading!**

Jacob watched as Renesmee gracefully pounced on a large elk, taking it down with one swoop. Even though the two of them began hunting together a few weeks after she was born, Jacob still had a small panic attack in the back of his head every time he watched his petite imprint take down an animal several times her size.

He thought back to the conversation he had had with Edward before he had picked her up that night. Edward usually gave him a talk before most of their longer outings, so initially he hadn't been surprised when Edward had met him in the woods just outside of their property.

_Jacob had run in wolf form all the way to Forks from La Push, and was just pulling on his shorts after his phase when he felt a familiar gust of air before Edward appeared. The hair on his arms stood up and his nostrils flared in natural reaction to an approaching vampire._

"_Jacob," Edward greeted, materializing in front of him. _

"_Hey," Jacob quipped, running a hand through his disheveled hair to straighten it out._

"_Going on the last hunt in awhile I see?"_

_Jacob shifted a bit uncomfortably as Edward scanned his thoughts. Years of being around the vampire had taught him that nothing was private in his presence. _

"_Yeah, figured I'd indulge Nessie one last time before I leave for college."_

"_I see. She's been thinking about going on a hunt with you all day, I'm afraid," Edward replied, rolling his eyes._

_Jacob shrugged it off as typical 'Edward' behavior. He was used to Edward being annoyed with his general fascination with his daughter, and both of them took their annoyance in stride._

"_Yeah, we won't go far," he replied.__** No worries, Eddy, we're just running up the coast to get your daughter her mountain lion. Like father like daughter,**__ Jacob thought. His spoken words to Edward always tended to be the 'polite' version of what he actually wanted to say._

"_She does tend to favor my meal of choice, doesn't she?" Edward replied with a coy smirk. _

_Jacob shrugged and cast an annoyed glance in the direction of the Cullen's house. He was going to be late if Edward kept this up…_

"_Yes, she is waiting for you, I know, Jacob. But I wanted to talk to you about something first."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Just…be careful and don't go far…she's been pushing her boundaries with us lately, and I don't want her getting out of control."_

_Jacob snorted. "Out of control?"_

"_Yes, well…she's been thinking that we're smothering her and-"_

"_Well you do!" Jacob cut him off. Edward shot him an exasperated look and continued._

"_I would just like you to be careful and make sure she doesn't do anything reckless."_

_Jacob nodded and tried to clear the irritation towards Edward out of his mind. He wasn't sure what 'reckless' behavior a half vampire girl could get into, but he would agree to pacify Edward and move this little lecture along. He didn't want any more delays – Renesmee was waiting. _

The quiet sound of Quil's gnawing on his meal brought him back to what was happening in front of him.

She bent to drain her kill, brushing her long, curly copper hair out of her eyes. Her new sweater that Jacob had taken such a liking to was covered in twigs and leaves and dirt as a result of their little group's playful jaunt through the forest. He caught himself lick his lips as the deep 'V' of the neckline shifted as she crouched down, exposing a little of her cleavage.

She had only developed breasts in the past year or so, and he had made a point to try his best to not notice them, even if they were the most glorious thing he had ever seen. The more her body matured; subconsciously he knew that that took her even closer to becoming his mate. _And then maybe we can do things that mates do…._he thought sheepishly as he continued to watch her.

_You gonna eat, man? Quill asked him, gesturing his nose towards the large buck they had also taken down. _

_Yeah, sorry Quil,_ Jake replied to him in his head. He knew Quil could hear him, but he was probably just trying to be polite and not make fun of him and his fantasizing.

_It's only natural Jake, don't sweat it. You're not a pervert…she's a bona fide hottie._

_Thanks Quil,_ Jacob groaned inwardly as this friend's harmless observation. He knew Quil was just joking around, but he couldn't help but attempt to calm the jealous waves rolling over his body. _Can we just eat?_

_Yeah, yeah…_

The two wolves bent down and let their animal instincts take over as they fed on the buck. Jacob felt himself shudder a bit as he watched Quil strip a piece of skin away from the meat of the animals shoulder with his razor sharp teeth, the newly exposed flesh steaming in the chilly night air. No matter how long he had been doing it, eating like this still gave him the willies when he really thought about it.

Jacob's mind wandered to how difficult the next few days would surely be. He had packed up the last bits of his small, messy room at Billy's house in preparation for college, he had spoken to his roommate on the phone, and his room was waiting for him in the freshman dorm at Washington University - all the arrangements had been made. His only step left was to say good-bye. He had already put college off for as long as possible, and he couldn't do it anymore. They had all known that Renesmee would have a very limited time as a child and young teenager, and none of them wanted to miss a moment of that, especially Jacob.

But it was time.

Her speedy aging process had been a sad experience for them all; it seemed like she barely had time to get used to anything, whether it be clothes, toys, or hobbies before she grew out of them. Sadly, this was a common fact of her life.

He had no choice but to finally go to college now that her aging had slowed and he wouldn't be missing as many milestones. Besides, he couldn't help but admit to himself that he was sort of looking forward to getting out of La Push for more than a few weeks. College life might be exciting. And, on top of everything else, his high expectations for himself were there to loom above everything, almost like a festering thunderstorm.

Renesemee's entire family likely had three or four dozen college degrees between the eight of them; most of them had spent the majority of their lives becoming educated. Jacob felt like a big nothing compared to that family. How could he not? They had more money, education, and class than anyone in his family had ever even hoped to have.

That's where his college plan came in. With his knowledge of motors and cars, he had opened his own garage in La Push so that he and his wolf-pack brothers could all secure jobs and steady incomes, despite their alternative lifestyles. With a college degree, Jacob knew that he could at least hope to _someday _earn the respect of the Cullens. He also hoped that Renesmee would be proud of him for doing so...proud enough to be with him forever.

It wasn't that he was so concerned with being able to buy her a big fancy house and a sports car like the Cullens could, but it would have been nice to not have to constantly worry about stretching money to its fullest extent, something that had been always been a common issue with for Jacob and Billy growing up.

He also wanted to be able to provide for their children…if she could have any. That had always been a touchy subject to bring up around anyone in the Cullen household. Renesmee hadn't yet reached full maturity, and so no one was sure if she would be able to have children. Jacob knew from his heightened senses that Renesmee had never menstruated, or at least not yet. Her human side would have allowed her to, however her vampire side would not. Unbeknownst to Renesmee, everyone else was remaining hopeful.

The window of time for that was still open, and he hadn't had much time to really worry about it yet, although his gut told him that things would be okay. Otherwise, he was sure he wouldn't have imprinted on her since imprinting was based on not only a perfect match of chemistry for two beings, but also on the ability to reproduce offspring to carry on the werewolf gene.

He always cringed at the thought of imprinting on Renesmee just to make sure he would have children with the transmutation gene, but he had convinced himself over the past six and a half years that that was not the only reason for the imprint.

Huffing a cloud of warm breath into the air, he continued to watch her as she gracefully fed. It boggled his mind how an act he had once thought of as so feral and disgusting could look so_...intoxicating and beautiful when she was doing it..._

He was jolted out of his deep thoughts by Quil, who was talking to him in his head.

_What? Aren't you hungry? You've been bugging me about hunting for days! Quil_ barked at him mentally.

_Yeah yeah yeah...I'm hungry, just making sure Nessie got one..._ he replied silently.

_Make sure she GOT one? Like she ever has trouble! She's almost faster than you are!_ Quil thought with a snort.

Jacob whipped his head up and bared his teeth at his friend with a growl. Quil cowered before skittering away a few paces.

_Okay, okay you can't take a joke...what's up with you man?_

Jacob stared fifty yards away as Renesmee quickly finished draining her elk and looked up for a place to discard her carcass. She quickly stood, brushing her long locks out of her face.

Meanwhile, Renesmee was making a mental note to herself to thank her aunts for helping her get dressed up for their last hunt. Even in wolf-form, those boys couldn't fool her. It was like she could _feel_ them looking at her and admiring the violet sweater that adorned her nearly perfect body.

_JAKE!!! _Quil yelled. Jake jumped, his tail ducking between his legs in embarrassment of being caught staring at Renesmee.

_You okay?_

_I wish I was..._

_What's wrong?_

_It's just....her._

_Nessie?_

_Yeah._

_You guys not getting along?_

_No, it's not that...just look at her, Quil._

_Are you nervous about leaving her for school in a few days?_

_Yeah...really nervous. What if she doesn't even miss me?_

_Jake, get a grip. She's your imprint; of course she's going to miss you. You've only been apart a week tops since she's been born. She would be crazy not to miss you._

_Yeah…and I feel selfish to admit it, but I'm afraid to be away from her for more than a few days. I'm scared it will really hurt._

_It will. But in my experience, the pain isn't as bad if you're mentally prepared for it._

_Seriously?_

_Yeah. It was hard to be away from Claire when her family used to go on vacation when she was really little. They were gone for almost three weeks in the summer._

_I remember._

_It was tough, I mean, you could see that for yourself. But everything got easier eventually – I just had to mentally prepare myself for her absence. _

_I know, but we've never been apart before since things were...different. _

_What do you mean?_

_I mean...things are all different now that she's a lot more...uh...mature._

_Oh, you mean old enough to return your not-so-friend-ish feelings?_

_Oh, you definitely noticed then, huh?_

_Kinda hard not to man...I mean it's just one of the drawbacks of being able to know everything...about everyone...all the time._..Quil rolled his wolf eyes and flattened his ears back against his head, showing his annoyance with the wolves' ability to hear each others thoughts. It came in handy during a chase or even better, a fight, but the rest of the time it was more of an aggravating hindrance.

Jacob snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes as well. Sometimes he thought he could communicate with his best friend better as a wolf – sure it sucked sometimes having your secrets and deepest thoughts laid out on the table so to speak, but they did try to be respectful once all the teasing was out of their systems.

_Yeah, no secrets definitely gets tough sometimes..._

_It's okay man, we all understand. Imprinting is hard._

_I know, just be glad you don't have to tell yours for a few more years,_ Jacob thought, referring to Claire.

_I do get it easy in that regard I suppose...but it's not worth listening to you torture yourself in your head._

_I'm not torturing myself...I'm just...considering all the possibilities._

_What the fuck does that even MEAN?_

_Nothing, forget I said anything._

_I wish I could. _

_Huh?_

_Believe me - if this really was the end of this conversation that would be great. Unfortunately I have to stand here and listen to you admire Nessie's boobies in her new purple sweater!_

_Ha ha ha...very funny Quil._

_It is nice..._

_If you so much as LOOK at her again, Quil Ateara, I'm gonna sneak up on you while you're sleeping and shave your wolfy ass to look like a god damn lion. Don't think I wouldn't._

_Eeesh! Okay, okay...so no sex jokes?_

_Considering neither one of us has even had sex or even has a prayer of getting any for years....ah, no._

_Oh come on..._

_Quil, I really don't want to talk about this..._

_Well obviously you need to talk about it with someone; it's on the front of your mind, Jake. Kinda hard for me to ignore. It's like you're screaming about her to me inside your head. Jake, buddy, I have the picture of her ass burned inside my head just from seeing you staring at it so much. I couldn't get a break from all this if I tried. _

_I know, I know...I just look at her and....I don't know. Never mind_, Jacob thought. This whole situation felt hopeless. Even if Edward and Bella hadn't asked him to please keep the whole imprint issue under wraps, it would still be a difficult thing to explain to her. No matter how he tried to word it, it could be viewed as slightly creepy - a fact that Renesmee never hesitated to remind him of. He had tried explaining Quil and Claire's relationship to her numerous times, but each time she had still had a slightly questioning look on her face. Not that he could exactly blame her.

He snorted, his breath forming small clouds in the crisp, black night. Even he had had trouble accepting the idea of imprinting when he was first told about it. It did seem a bit creepy and weird, and he hadn't believed much of it, even after witnessing it happen to Sam, Jared, Paul, and Quil. Even viewing it from inside the thoughts of his brothers could not have prepared him for the feelings he had had when first laying eyes on Renesmee that day years ago.

_I don't get something, Jake._

_What?_ he asked, turning attention and his large, furry head back to Quil.

_Well, why are you waiting to tell Nessie that she's your imprint? Wouldn't life just be easier if she knew? Then you guys could, I dunno...be happy? Act normal and go on dates and stuff...Or at least give it a shot._

_Yeah, but you know how hard it is. Be glad Claire is human...and not surrounded by a family of leeches...and doesn't have a mind-reading father...._

_Yeah, you're right, that would suck. _

_Tell me about it. _

_I can't even imagine what that's like. Not that I've had thoughts like that bout Claire yet, but I know someday I will...and that terrifies the hell out of me. I can't even begin to consider what it would be like if her father could read my freaking mind. I mean, before I imprinted I was one horny fuck!_

Jake rolled his eyes. He closed his wolf eyes for a moment and thought back to the talk he had had with Edward a few years ago. Quil needed to see this.

**(flashback)**

Jacob lounged on the Cullen's' sofa, lazily watching a football game with Emmett. The afternoon had started off normal enough, at least in his eyes. Renesmee was playing chess with Rosalie on the table next to the couch, and Rosalie was letting her win.

"Good job!" Rosalie trilled, clapping her hands together softly for Renesmee's last move. Renesmee's small, child-like cheeks glowed with delight as they continued their game quietly.

"It would be if you didn't let her win!" Jacob teased from the couch. Rosalie shot him a look full of daggers that made Emmett chuckle. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the television.

"She doesn't even phase you anymore, does she?" Jacob muttered to Emmett. He snorted in response and shook his head.

"I am staying out of this one," Emmett declared, waving him off.

"She's not letting me win!" Renesmee's small voice chirped, echoing in the large living room.

"Yeah yeah…" Jacob retorted, raising an eyebrow at her skeptically.

"At least _she _knows how to play a dignified game of chess instead of lounging on the furniture all day," Rosalie quipped, raising a perfect eyebrow in Jacob's direction. He turned his head to scowl at her.

"Get off it, Blondie, this couch is comfy," he replied.

"It won't float away if your butt isn't firmly planted on it, Jacob. You don't have to hold our couches to the ground or anything. At least crack a book once in awhile if you're just going to sit there," she finished, straightening her pieces on the board so that they were perfectly aligned on their spaces. Renesmee grinned and copied her aunt's organization, oblivious to the conversation around her.

"Can it," he muttered.

"Oh Jacob! Your wit astounds me!" she replied, mocking a smile and clapping daintily. Emmett rolled his eyes at both of them, smirking to himself. He knew better than to get involved once his wife and Jacob got into it.

The room returned to quiet for a few more moments as they began another round.

"I think they've got a really good shot at the play-offs this year," Emmett said finally, not taking his eyes off the large television and the game they were watching. .

"Yeah, but I've seen them blow their chances before," Jacob answered, looking over at the bulky vampire beside him. Even after all the years he had known the Cullens, it was still strange to him sometimes to sit on the couch and 'hang out' with a vampire.

For as long as he had known about the existence of vampires, his tribe's legends had always contradicted almost everything that the Cullens were. Instead of being cold, unfeeling creatures of stone, they were all very...life-like and interesting. Jacob was honestly shocked because the more time he spent with them the more he learned about them - they all had personalities, likes, dislikes, and emotions that were all very human.

"Why thank you, Jacob."

Jacob jumped a little from his spot on the couch at the sound of Edward's voice. He didn't think he would ever get used to the quiet, somewhat creepy way they were always appearing, even in their own house.

"I'm not creepy," Edward chided, slowly sauntering over towards the couch. Emmett glanced up at him with a questioning look, but decided that his football game was more important. He had learned long ago to ignore the silent conversations Edward could have with the people around him.

Jake sighed and looked up at Edward from his place on the couch, silently asking what he wanted.

_Yes?_

"Let's go for a walk," Edward replied somberly, motioning towards the back balcony.

Jacob complied and followed as Edward gracefully jumped off the side of the balcony and made his way across the yard. Jacob's discomfort grew as Edward didn't run or even make an effort to speed out of ear shot of his family's home. They walked until they had crossed the large backyard, Edward only speeding up to bound across the wide river and into the forest. Jake jumped pretty gracefully for his size from rock to rock until he was across. He finally joined him in a small clearing that Jasper and Emmett usually used for their playful, brotherly wrestling matches.

_Probably wanted a private place to kill me,_ Jacob thought sarcastically to himself. Although the entire family had been in shock about the imprint on Renesmee, they had had almost two full years to get over it. Renesmee now appeared to be a six-year-old little girl, and was clearly far away from _that_ type of relationship with Jacob.

"You needn't be worried, Jacob. I only wanted this to be a private conversation between the two of us," Edward replied, stopping finally to turn and face him.

Jacob nodded, stopping also. Edward was silent for a moment, almost at a loss for words.

_Well that's a first,_ Jacob thought smugly.

Edward shot him a warning look, but then a smile danced on his granite lips. Tension between the two of them had long ceased, especially after the visit from the Volturi almost a year and a half before.

"I....brought you out here today, Jacob..." Edward paused, searching again for the right words.

"Yeah?"

Edward shot him another glance, silencing him.

"I brought you out here so that I could talk to you about this imprint business some more."

"Oh." _Super._

"I wanted to let you know that Bella and I have discussed it, and we feel very comfortable with everything...well, almost everything. Jacob, we trust you with our daughter, and we want you to know that."

Jacob was shocked. "Thank you, Edward," he replied, shifting his weight from foot to foot again.

"What happened last year with the Volturi showed me that you would do anything to protect my daughter, and I respect that more than you will ever know. I know she means the world to you, and I have listened to her thoughts –it's the same vice versa."

Jacob nodded, slightly taken aback by Edward's gracious statement. He tensed, looking at him warily.

He knew that wasn't all.

"You're right, that's not all," he said. "Continuing with that, I must say that even though I have seen inside the minds of your pack members while in the presence of their imprints, I don't even begin to attempt to understand the pull that they share with them.

"I know that my love for Bella is deep and true, and I certainly feel a connection to her when I am away, yet I do not understand what the physical pull you feel towards an imprint is like. It must be a hard thing to manage."

Jake nodded. It was true - the pull towards Renesmee when she was far away was something that he didn't relish in. It mentally, physically, and emotionally beat him to death.

"With that said, I realize that we needed to have this talk a lot sooner due to my daughter's rapid aging. I know that when she reaches the approximate age of seven she will by physically mature...and I needed to address that with you."

Jacob nodded again. _Oh god...I'm going to get a sex talk from daddy vamp…_

"Jacob, please…" Edward said, grimacing at his terminology. "This isn't any easier for me."

"Sorry."

"What I want to say is that once my daughter reaches that stage in her life, I'm going to have her mother shield her from me."

Jake felt his face tighten with shock and surprise at this. _Seriously?!_

"Seriously, Jacob. I do not feel that it is fair, or right of me to hear my daughter's thoughts when she reaches that point. I realize and have come to grips with the idea that you two will someday not have the brother-sister relationship you have now. I know that eventually...things will be much, much different. And I couldn't bear to hear those thoughts from my own daughter. It was bad enough having to hear them from my adopted siblings and parents, and everyone else on this earth. I don't think I can handle it from my baby girl," he said softly.

"Now, with this conclusion I am going to trust that you will not take advantage of the fact that I cannot hear her thoughts. I know you know how to block me when you really concentrate, a skill that I'm sure you will perfect by then. However, with her teenage years not far off, I need you to promise me something."

"What's that?"

"I need you to promise me that you'll wait until she's reached the right age. I don't want any part of her childhood taken away from her due to lusty feelings about her werewolf imprint."

"Hey, I can't always control-"

Edward cut him off. "You need to promise me that you will NOT force yourself or your feelings on her, Jacob. Her time as a child is already much too short, and I cannot bear to have any of that taken away from her too early. These are times that simply won't happen again. It terrifies us as her parents that she will have such a short time as a child. As immortals, we … have the rest of time to be together and experience life as adults. But, Renesmee..." he trailed off, his golden eyes seeming to cloud over with emotion. Sadness, confusion, and longing plagued his granite face.

Jake had practiced keeping his thoughts clear because of Edward, but this was the one time he didn't have to try. His mind was completely blank of all emotion after witnessing Edward's emotional confession.

It had been a quiet walk back to the Cullen's house after that.

**(end flashback)**

_Wow_, Quil thought. Jacob shrugged his wolf shoulders and tore another hunk of meat away from the elk.

_Yeah, it's not all fun and games with that family._

_I see now...how did I not see that in your head before now?_

_I kinda blocked it...I've never seen daddy vamp get emotional before, at least not in awhile...it really shocked me. I didn't even know what to do after that. _

_So is she shielded yet by Bella?_

_Nope...not that I know of. I always kind of assumed that I would be told, but I guess I could be wrong. _

_Claire and I do have it easy, at least for a few more years._

_Do you think it's easier if they don't know? About the imprinting, I mean?_

_Well, there's certainly less pressure. I mean, a nine-year-old couldn't possibly wrap her head around the idea. I don't even think I have completely wrapped my head around it, and I've had almost an entire decade to think about it. _

_You're probably right. But Nessie is getting old, man. I stopped aging at seventeen and...Her birthday is coming up soon. She'll technically only be seven, but I can't help but notice that she's looking more like, oh, I don't know, a seventeen-year-old woman?_

Quil snorted, his warm breath making clouds of steam in the chilly night air.

"Are you boys gonna look at that thing or eat it?"

Both wolves jerked their heads up to look over at Renesmee, who was cleaning off her hands after her meal. Although she did like human food, especially sweets, animal blood made her feel full and strong.

_And I love the thrill of the hunt too,_ she thought, brushing the leaves and twigs off of her black jeans.

Jacob huffed at her in response as if to say, "_Yeah, yeah, yeah..."_

Renesmee reached over to playfully scratch him behind his ears on his reddish brown fur. "Just hurry and eat, I want to go home and watch a movie!"

The two wolves complied, and soon they were finished with their meal. Quil snorted his good-bye to Renesmee and Jacob, and loped off into the woods to head up to Makah. Jacob could tell that he wanted to curl up under Claire's window and listen to his imprint sleep. Jacob rolled his eyes as they watched him disappear into the dark underbrush.

"Let's go home!" she exclaimed, pulling at his tail like she did when she was a baby.

Jacob barked a laugh and licked at her hand to get her to stop. "Hey!" she exclaimed, wiping his slobber off of her. "Stop drooling on me!"

He barked again, letting his tongue hang out of the side of his mouth.

"I'll uh....race ya!" she exclaimed, sinking into a crouch. He barely had time to wag his tail before she darted off into the forest like a porcelain colored bullet.

When they arrived home, they discovered that Bella and Edward had returned from Alaska, where they had run up to visit the Denali clan as they frequently did. After the visit from the Volturi after Resnesmee's birth, the vampires that had gathered made more attempts at frequent visits. She had learned early on that it was very beneficial to have friends of her kind.

"I missed you, baby," Bella said, embracing her daughter. Edward was giving Renesmee a hug when Jacob stepped into the living room after phasing outside.

"Jacob, I trust things are well?" he asked, stepping closer. To Jacob's shock, Edward embraced him in quick but sincere hug.

_I don't think I'll ever get used to that,_ Jacob thought, a tinge of playfulness to his thought as Edward embraced him.

Edward gave him a sly smile as the rest of the Cullens entered the large white and beige room to welcome Bella and Edward back.

"Mongrel," Rosalie addressed Jacob with her usual title for him.

"Blondie! So good to see you!" he said with the pep of a cheerleader.

Rosalie rolled her eyes as Emmett patted her shoulder.

"Bella! You're home!" Alice trilled, racing over to hug her brother and sister-in-law.

"Yes, Alice, we're home!" Bella exclaimed, almost falling over at Alice's aggressive hug. "I see you took my daughter shopping," she replied, her topaz eyes falling on Renesmee's new outfit.

Renesmee felt a blush beginning to appear in her cheeks as every eye in the room turned to her to examine her clothing. Her eyes darted up to Jacob who had taken his place beside her in the kitchen. It had always been her tendency to gravitate towards him whenever they were in a room together - to her, his warmth was like a magnet.

"A girl's gotta keep busy!" Alice said, her voice dripping with playful mischief. She winked at Edward, making him sigh and look over at his daughter, who was now half hidden behind a scantily clad Jacob. Everyone else laughed, but Edward couldn't help but notice how his daughter and Jacob caught each other's eyes and had a private exchange.

_Oh god, I hope he didn't think it was stupid of me to dress up...he seemed to like the new clothes though..._she thought.

_That color makes me think of spring...it really sets off her eyes...and her hair...and her beautiful...no!_ Jacob wrapped one arm casually around Renesmee but winced as his thoughts turned not so innocent.

Edward winced at thoughts of his daughter and Jacob, but tried to listen intentionally to someone else. It was obvious the two of them had had some interlude during their hunt together earlier. Had something changed when he was gone?

"We have so much to tell you guys...it was crazy up there," Bella said, biting her lip and looking around at her family.

"How are they adjusting to their new family members?" Esme asked, her golden eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Very well, from what I was able to gather," Edward replied. The rest of the family tightened around the island in the center of the kitchen, waiting to hear the story of the Denali visit from Edward and Bella.

_**New**__ family members? Wait, there are more of them? Great...more leeches..._

Edward shot a warning look to Jacob, who quickly settled himself down.

"What is she talking about?" Jacob asked, looking confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jacob, I forgot to mention to you that the Denali clan has saved and....adopted two new members - vegetarians, naturally." Carlisle said, looking around the room with pride. It always made him feel good when new vampires chose the ways of vegetarianism rather than the natural method for vampire feeding.

"Oh, that's...cool," Jacob replied, choking the words out. He was happy the new leeches weren't murderers like the rest of them out there, but it still saddened him to know that more were being added to the race, even slowly. He couldn't help his bitter thoughts; werewolf prejudices were ingrained in his system.

"What are they like?" Alice asked, settling into Jasper's arms where he sat at the counter. Her eyes were brimming with curiosity, as was the rest of the family.

"As if you haven't seen them already," Jasper teased her, softly tapping the side of her spiky head.

She huffed in frustration. "Seeing isn't the same as meeting them in person, Jazz," she replied before turning her attention back to Edward and Bella.

"Well, they're...different, as many vegetarians are," Edward began. "Unlike us, they are actually true siblings, brothers."

"Brothers? But how?" Rosalie asked, confused.

"Tanya and Kate have always had a fascination with human men, and these two caught their eye," Edward continued. Jacob felt his skin begin to crawl at the thought.

_Vampire women who enjoy banging human men...weird..._

Edward shot him a discrete look of displeasure, and then changed it to questioning.

_Oh...okay...I guess what I'll be doing eventually isn't quite so different...and I'm gonna stop right there!_ He thought as Edward raised a perfect eyebrow at him.

Even though Renesmee had definite vampire-like qualities, Jacob tended to consider her more human than vampire. More real, and soft, and...Not like a leech.

"They're very nice boys," Edward said. "It's a shame we didn't get up to see them sooner. They have both been vampires a little over two years now."

"Has it been that long since we've been up there?" Rosalie murmured, still fascinated with the idea of two _brothers _actually being vampires.

"Yes, it has," Carlisle answered her. "I hope they are both adjusting well to this lifestyle," he added.

"Well, the older of the two has been having trouble..." Edward trailed off.

"So we're not the only ones who have slipped," Jasper replied, his soft southern drawl still showing remorse for the human lives he took in his past while he was learning his vegetarian lifestyle.

"No, we're not," Emmett answered, his hand gripping Jasper's shoulder reassuringly. Both of them had had a difficult time adjusting at first.

"Yes, so much trouble that he has left the Denali clan to venture off on his own, much like I did at first," Edward continued, his eyes flashing to Renesmee for a brief second. Jacob knew about Edwards's troubled beginning, and respected the fact that he had made no effort to hide those years from his daughter and wife.

"He left the second day we were up there…he was very troubled by his decision, but as I understand, he has always been the wilder one of the two."

"That's so sad," Rosalie said softly, her eyes falling to the floor. Bella nodded, her own eyes growing with emotion.

"But why?" Renesmee asked, finally speaking.

Jacob looked at her in surprise. _Why was she suddenly so interested in these two new leeches?_

"We all have trouble adjusting, even if the idea of vegetarianism is presented from the start," Esme said softly, all eyes floating to her. "Even if it's firmly taught to you straight off the bat, it's still a hard urge to ignore.

Renesmee gave her grandmother a soft smile, knowing how Esme's first few wild months as a vampire had been torturous on the gentle, sweet woman.

"Exactly," Edward said. "Well, as I said, the older of the two, Damon, has respectfully left the family to explore life on his own, as he has every right to. The younger, Stefan, has adjusted quite well though."

"How old were they when they were changed?" Renesmee piped up again.

"Damon was nineteen, and Stefan was seventeen. They were both out drinking one night, coincidentally the same place where Tanya and Kate were frequenting."

"Wait, vampires can't drink or eat, what were they doing at a bar?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms sternly. He licked his lips and furrowed his brow and Edward looked at him.

"They like to go places where young men frequent, Jacob. Like us, they are creatures who enjoy the company of others and like to meet new people to socialize with," Edward replied in a cool voice.

"What happened to that Garrett guy? He was cool. Didn't he leave here to go with Kate? I thought the two of them were shacking up," Jacob said. It wasn't a lie. During the few months that Garrett had stayed with the Cullens, he was one of the few vampires that hadn't scared the crap out of him.

"Nothing...he just...decided that after being a nomad for so many years, it was too hard for him to stay in one place. Vampires....our kind...we don't take well to change, and it was too much for him to try and be so domestic with Kate. So, he left peacefully, and they haven't heard from him since. Kate was pretty destroyed. Please do not blame her for wanting companionship again Jacob."

Jacob nodded, but thought silently, _I know I've been around this for years, Edward, but it still takes some getting used to._

Edward gave him a subtle nod, and continued with his story of the two new vampires.

"They were in a bar underage, and Tanya and Kate were interested by them both. However, when Damon got in a bad bar fight outside, he was stabbed several times. It wasn't looking good for him. Stefan also received some injuries, although not as badly, when he went to defend his brother. Unfortunately, both boys were intoxicated and it did not end well.

"Oh! How awful!" Esme gasped, her dainty hand flying up to cover her mouth.

"Truly. Well...the fight continued, and the men attacking them even hit Stefan with his car. Both of the boys were in bad shape. The scent of the blood drew Kate and Tanya, and they were too captivated by the two boys to just let them die, as Damon surely would have. Such a waste," Edward said sadly.

"So, they presented Damon with the idea of changing him. He was too weak to answer them, and Stefan knew that his brother would do anything not to die. He begged the women to help his brother, and they were faced with a choice," Bella continued for him. "After they explained it to him, they were faced with another dilemma," she said.

"He knew our secret," Rosalie said sadly. Everyone in the room knew that the Volturi would never have allowed Stefan to walk away from that night knowing what he now knew about vampires.

"Exactly," Edward replied. The room was quiet now; the only sound was the beating of Jacob and Resnesmee's hearts.

"It's never an easy decision, especially one to make that quickly," Bella replied softly. Bella knew that she was very different from the rest of her family - she was the only one who had chosen this lifestyle, and the pain of that choice being taken away from the rest of her family clearly pained her.

"Well, Stefan knew that he didn't want to die, or leave his brother...the two were the best of friends," Bella said softly. "So, he made the choice. He's doing really well though. He's very gentle and kind, with a really good heart. He reminds me a lot of Edward," she added, smiling up at her husband.

Edward nodded, looking at the rest of his family. "Yes, Stefan is a very nice young man. He will surely do nothing but add to our family's peaceful reputation. Most of his time is dedicated to studying history and plans for travel."

"Excellent," Carlisle replied, a smile stretching his face. "We look forward to meeting him," he said. Nothing pleased him more than a vampire that was determined to do good, despite his nature.

Jacob looked down at Renesmee, curiosity coloring his face. She was looking around the room at her family members as they spoke about plans for a trip to Denali to meet this new member of their extended family. He tightened his warm arm around her cool, smooth skin and smiled at her, hoping to draw her attention back to him. He didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal.

"From what I can see, he's very nice Carlisle," Alice said, playfully smug.

"I knew you could see him!" Bella teased with a smile.

"Yes, I - Oh!" She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her face dawn and blank.

The rest of the family froze, knowing that Alice was having a vision of something that was possibly in their future. The Cullens always paid close attention to her visions.

_Never bet against Alice.... _Jacob thought with a silent chuckle.

Edward's eyes flashed quickly to Jacob as he read what Alice was seeing. Her eyes re-focused and her body went slack a bit as she returned to them.

Her eyes flashed first to Renesmee, then to Jacob, and then to Edward and Bella. Everyone in the room buzzed with confusion.

"Alice, what did you see?!"

_***AUTHOR'S NOTE***_

Sorry to leave you all with a cliffhanger…guess you'll have to leave the author a review to see what happens next! Please? I'd love you forever!

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**Please be sure to check out my new story 'Immortal'. It is about ALL of the Cullens, Bella, Nessie, the Wolf Pack!**


	5. and I just can't tell you why

_Remember all the things we wanted  
Now all our memories they're haunted  
We were always meant to say goodbye  
I didn't come here to hold you, now I can't stop  
And I want you to know you couldn't have loved me better  
But I want you to move on so I'm already gone  
Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson_

_~*~_

Chapter 4 – and I just can't tell you why

The family stood around the island counter in the kitchen, gaping at Alice. No one ever took her visions lightly, especially since Renesmee's birth.

Alice closed her mouth that had fallen open at her "Oh!" and re-focused her eyes to look at them. Renesmee was pretty sure Alice would be blushing right now if she could.

"Alice!" Rosalie trilled, looking at her with wide, expectant eyes. Alice actually _jumped _when the shrill voice of Rosalie cut through the large white kitchen.

"Alice, dear, what did you see?" Esme asked softly, tucking her caramel waves behind one ear.

_Leave it to Esme to take a gentler approach,_ Renesmee thought to herself. She looked over her shoulder at Jacob, who was now standing closely against her back. He just shrugged and squeezed her shoulders before glancing around the kitchen at the rest of her family. They all watched as Alice froze, her stone body appearing rigid where she sat.

"Um...no big deal, it was something silly," she replied.

"How silly, Alice?" Rosalie asked slowly.

They all watched as the wheels in her head turned, formulating an answer.

"Oh, I just saw that those dresses we ordered from Chanel are going to be back ordered till spring!" she quickly trilled. "Can you imagine? How awful! It made me stop right in my tracks!"

"Oh!" Rosalie scoffed, frowning deeply. "The nerve! We've had those ordered for awhile now, what gives?!"

She continued to prattle about her dresses as Alice hunched back down on Jasper's lap, her eyes falling to the floor. Renesmee wasn't fooled. Something was up. Looking over at Edward, she saw that he had a strange expression on his face as well. It was one of...amusement? Wonder? She couldn't place it.

She watched as he looked over at Jacob, giving him a look of almost sadness. What was going on? Jacob looked back at Edward, his eyes searching her father's for answers.

She looked at her aunt, who quickly smiled brightly at her and the rest of the family. Everyone else bought her dress story and slowly began moving about their activities for the day. Rosalie, frustrated that her dresses wouldn't be here for months, wanted to go for a run and hunt with Emmett; Carlisle had picked up a shift at the hospital, Edward and Bella wanted to check on things at the cottage, and Esme, Alice and Jasper excused themselves to the living room to watch the morning news.

Rensemee sat at the kitchen counter, still confused. She had missed something, and she was determined to find out what.

"Edward," Bella began as they ran, "What did Alice see?"

"What love?" He asked, slowing his pace to match hers.

"You're stalling. What did Alice see?" Bella frowned, not letting her husband fool her. She wasn't sure what had just transpired in the kitchen, and she was bothered to say the least.

"Something I did not anticipate, that's for sure," he said. "She asked me not to say anything,"

Bella was taken aback. "You can certainly tell your wife!"

Edward chuckled. "It's alright love. Not a huge deal. I want to see how it plays out before I worry you."

"So nothing dangerous? For Ness?"

Edward shook his head quickly. "No, not dangerous, but it is certainly something I did not expect. She will be fine love, I promise you that," he replied.

Bella blinked her golden eyes, still confused as the forest flashed by her. She still felt very unsettled about Alice's vision, but she tried her best to push her feelings aside and trust her husband. If he wasn't worried, then she wouldn't be either.

"Something I did not see indeed," He added to himself.

The next day, Jacob had to go up to his shop to get some work done, leaving Renesmee to fend off boredom by herself for the afternoon. She didn't understand what had happened in the kitchen with Alice's mystery vision in the kitchen the day before, but she wasn't worried. Although Alice had managed to keep her embarrassing dream a secret from the rest of the family, she was generally not known to be a great secret keeper. Renesmee had spent the rest of the day planning how to drag what she had seen out of her, but for now she had bigger plans.

What she really didn't understand was what had happened after that, in the evening when Jacob had come over. She had only inherited a half of her mother's introspectiveness and ability to notice small details, but she was no fool – something strange had taken place earlier when Jacob had been at the house.

Renesmee Cullen was many things.

She was half a vampire. She was half a human. She was fast, she was sweet, and she was crafty about getting her own way, especially being one-of-a-kind in a house full of vampires that loved her dearly. That is why she was currently using her charms on her mother to figure out what had taken place the night before when Jacob had come over.

"Hi," Renesmee said loudly, after attempting to sneak up on her mother as she re-arranged her closet.

"Hi Renesmee," her mother replied, a smile tracing her lips. It wasn't exactly easy for vampires to surprise each other.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, just moving things around...I see Alice was here, re-arranging everything again," she said with a sigh.

Renesemee rolled her eyes and smiled at her Aunt Alice's tactics. Her mother never had been one for fashion.

"Is there...do I smell something _new_ in here?" Bella frowned, rifling through the rows of clothing that lined their cottage home's large closet. She pulled out several new garment bags and frowned, her eyes quickly scanning the rest of her closet.

Smiling sheepishly, she replied, "Well, we did go shopping mom."

Bella threw up her ivory hands in exasperation and headed out of her closet towards the bedroom. She turned and looked at her daughter questioningly, noticing the perplexed look on her face.

"What's wrong, Ness?" She asked, pulling her daughter over to sit on the rarely-used bed.

"Mom...", she trailed off, unsure where to start. "What happened between Jake and Dad earlier?"

Bella pursed her granite lips, thinking quickly. Renesmee sighed and patted her mother's hands.

"You might be a vampire mom, but you really do need to work on your poker face," she replied.

Bella looked at her daughter sideways. "What makes you think I'm going to lie?"

"Nothing, because you're a bad liar," She laughed. "I don't even think you would bother."

"Yeah, I've heard that a time or two..." Bella muttered, biting her lower lip with her diamond teeth.

"Why did dad growl at Jake like that? I thought they were friends," Renesmee pouted. Her mother's face softened, and Bella patted her hand.

"Of course they're friends, dear. Sometimes he lets an annoyed growl slip. You've had that happen before, haven't you?"

Renesmee rolled her eyes again and let her own little annoyed growl sound in the quiet room. Bella laughed her tinkling laugh and snorted at her daughter's attempt to intimidate her into spilling.

"See? Your dad and Jake just need to...work a few things out. Everything will be okay though; I don't want you to worry. Just give it time," she replied.

**(Earlier that evening)**

After discussing the latest addition to the Denali clan, the Cullens retired to the large couches in the living room. Due to the fact that they didn't sleep, they had other activities they used to wind down while most other families would be eating dinner, making sure children did homework, and getting ready for bed.

On the weekends, the family would gather in the living room for a few movies before the married couples would pair off to do what they pleased. This was the time that Renesmee usually went for a run with Jacob, or made him play with her. However, tonight they were settling down to watch some action movie of Emmett and Jasper's choice before Jacob had to leave to complete his last patrol before leaving for college.

Everyone sat down on the large, beige couches that lined the room in front of the television. As a general rule, they all tried not to watch too much television and instead focused on talents, hobbies, and studying, but sometimes, even Edward had to admit it was fun to watch something silly or unrelated to anything that could really happen.

Jacob tested the mood of the room before cautiously sitting down in the corner of the big 'L' shaped sofa. Renesmee flitted to his side and then carelessly flopped down beside him. She smiled at him gleefully as she bounced on the sofa's soft cushions.

_Weird...._he thought, but smiled back and wrapped an arm casually around her shoulder. He watched in amazement as she immediately cuddled up against his side, his warm skin reacting immediately to her cool temperature by breaking out in goose bumps. He loved it.

Renesmee was on cloud nine. Ever since she had decided her feelings for Jacob had officially changed, she relished any opportunity she had to touch him. She glanced quickly at her father, who seemed to be more interested in whispering in her mother's ear than actually watching the movie.

_Whew! _She thought. _I really don't want dad in my head for this.._.she thought.

She could never really tell if her father was listening in on her thoughts – years of hearing his name in people's heads had taught him to downplay looking their direction at his name. And, her aunt Alice had taught her a few things about tuning him out, at least for a little while.

However, even with her half-vampire mind, it was difficult at times to concentrate on keeping him out while at the same time try not to think about what she was trying to block him from hearing. She had had quite a few accidents over the years – and was hence a crappy secret-keeper.

The movie began and the rest of her family seemed to be interested in watching it, but Renesmee wasn't fooled. She knew any move she made would have to be discrete.

_But does he really want me to make a move on him? What if he still thinks of me as just a friend? Why do I feel so confused about this all the time?_

Jacob seemed to sense he was being thought about, and turned to look down at Resnesmee, who was leaning back against his arm. She glanced up at him and caught his gaze, smiling up at him. She reached over and took his free hand and pulled it to sit in her lap.

_For being half vampire, sometimes she can feel so warm...._Jacob thought. _I wonder if she's warm...everywhere…._

Jacob quickly tried to control his thoughts, but as usual, Edward was faster. He saw Bella jump a bit as Edward's head whipped around to look at him sternly.

Jacob raised his black eyebrows and looked at Edward. _Hey, I'm sorry! I'm seventeen, remember? I'm trying…just chill out. _

Edward gave him another sideways glance before Bella grabbed his hand and began playing with it absently, pulling his attention away from Jacob and their daughter.

Jacob swallowed loudly, earning him curious looks from the rest of the Cullen's. He felt his cheeks start to turn red slightly, especially when Rosalie looked at him pointedly from her position draped across Emmett. Jacob licked his lips and looked at his lap until he thought he felt everyone's eyes return to the television.

Everything calmed down for a few minutes until Renesmee decided to spice things up.

_I'm going to get him to notice me if it kills me...well...figuratively. _

She glanced up at Jacob, who had his jaw tightened and was staring fixated at the TV. Smirking to herself, she took Jacob's hand that was in her lap and began stroking his palm. Wetness began to pool there, and she smiled to herself. She pressed her own palm to his cheek and gave him a pointed look.

_Sweaty palms, eh? Nervous about something?_

Jacob looked down at her, nodding 'no' discretely.

_That's a lie..._he thought to himself. What he was really thinking about was the way her sweater had clung to just the right parts of her during their hunt. He had been running behind her, silently thanking God for his enhanced vision that allowed him to run at top speed and also see her perfect ass running in front of him. _And goodness, a perfect ass it is..._

He shifted slightly, trying his best to clean up his thoughts as he remembered once again who he was in the company of.

Jasper turned from his position on the floor with Alice draped across his lap. The vampire uncle of Renesmee's quickly glanced first at his niece and then at Jacob, his golden eyes full of question.

_Great...uncle vamp is picking up on my lusty thoughts about his niece...great, just great..._

Renesmee smiled again to herself and continued stroking little patters on the inside of his hand. Feeling bold, she grabbed his finger and squeezed it firmly, but softly. His mind raced with a few different scenarios that made his heart pick up and his mouth begin to practically salivate with sexual anticipation. Jacob coughed suddenly, and shifted in his seat at her seductive hand movement.

_Oh my god, I'm starting to get hard! Focus, focus...oh god, if that feels good on my finger, I can't even think how that would feel to have her hands on my-"_

Suddenly, every head in the room whipped to look at Edward who had released a low, menacing growl from his position on the couch. His eyes were boring into Jacob's, who was continuing to squirm away from Renesmee.

"Um, I think I'd better go, I need to...go home before patrol tonight..." Jacob mumbled, bolting towards the front door.

Renesmee's head whipped around to look directly at her father who had just _growled_ at Jacob. Her protective nature for Jacob instantly kicked in and she growled back.

"DAD!" Renesmee fumed at her father. She made a silent vow to herself to show him how embarrassed and angry she was later. Now she was after Jacob.

She raced down the steps to the first floor and out the wide doors that led to the back door and the lawn that stretched towards the river. She leapt across in one single bound before reaching where Jacob was stripping down, ready to phase. The moonlight caught his body as he pulled off his t-shirt and reached for the button on his torn cut-off shorts.

"Jake, wait!" she called, finally reaching him.

_Wow, he looks so good half naked...I wonder what he looks like with those shorts off…_ she thought to herself, biting her lower lip with her teeth. He looked up, suddenly feeling shy as he felt her eyes rake across his half naked body.

Renesmee had almost seen Jacob naked a few times, but back when they were still in the best friend stage and she had been polite enough to look the other way or turn around when he phased back and was, well, stark naked.

Jake paused, tossing his shirt to the ground. He looked up at her with hurt brown eyes. Even thought Renesmee had no idea that she was his imprint, it didn't make it any easier for him to not listen to her and give her what she wanted. She ran up to him, her long, bronze colored hair flying behind her like a beautiful golden halo in the moonlight.

"What's wrong, Nessie?" he asked, looking down at his feet. He _really_ didn't want to get into this tonight. Not with this much on his mind....

"Why did you just get up and ditch me like that? I don't understand..."

"Ness, you know why I left. With you...pulling crap like that in front of Daddy Vamp, you're gonna make me end up as dinner!" he fumed to her.

"Jake, he would never eat you…you don't smell like you would even taste that good!" she said with a quiet laugh, hoping to ease the tension that was palpable between them. He gave her a stern glare in response.

Renesmee bit her lip, stepping closer to him. She did feel bad - it wasn't fair of her to try and turn him on for the first time with her entire vampire family as an audience. She glanced around the dark clearing they were in, sighing to herself. Reaching her palm to his cheek, she spoke to him in her special way.

_We're alone now..._

The look on Jacob's face was one of sheer terror. Renesmee looked up at him, confused at his expression. What she wouldn't give to have her father's talent at a moment like this....

Meanwhile, Jacob was busy having a confusing moment of his own. Now, Edward had been very clear that when the proper time came, he and Bella would be supportive of his 'mature' relationship with Renesmee. However, it was very clear by the growl emitted by Edward in the living room a few minutes ago that he did not think that this time was now. Should he risk going against Edward?

_Not if I'd like to keep my throat in tact..._

"Renesmee, what are you trying to say?"

"Nothing...," she paused, testing the mood around them. She already felt a little bit like an idiot for making such suggestive comments. Immediately her courage began to wane as he looked at her, his black eyes boring into her brown ones.

"I just…wanted to hold your hand. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well…I was about to be really sorry if you would have kept that up. What's gotten into you?" he hissed, standing up straighter. His tall frame loomed in front of her small one and she shrank back, unsure of what to say. He was making it clear that he definitely did _not_ return her feelings and that she had clearly crossed a line somewhere.

"Jake, I…I…I didn't mean to!" She said, her voice beginning to rise from being so upset.

He instantly felt bad for snapping at her about her gesture on the couch. It wasn't that he hadn't liked it; it was just that he couldn't be taking risks like that with her. Not now.

"Ness...," he began softly, "I have to be extremely careful with what I do with you, especially with your father around-"

She cut him off. "My dad has nothing to do with this! If I was a normal human with a normal family, then this wouldn't be an issue!"

"Exactly!" he shot back, his voice getting louder. "But you're not! And neither am I! In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly what you would call 'normal'."

"Jake, I'm not a child, I-"

"That's just it, Renesmee…Can't you understand?" he asked firmly. "You're a child, Ness, a child!"

Renesmee was taken aback by his retort. "A child?"

"You're not even seven-"

"So we're back to this again? My age? In case you never realized Jacob Black, I'm not exactly your normal seven year old CHILD!" she spat.

Her voice echoed into the dark woods, and the sudden quiet made the air around them in the forest seem menacing. They stared fiercely at each other, both feeling the pull of protest in their chests from arguing with their imprints. Jake knew exactly what he was feeling from seeing it in his brothers' thoughts, however, Renesmee wrote it off as fighting days before her Jacob was to leave her.

She didn't want to do this now.

"Jake, it's one of your last nights that we'll have together before you leave..." Renesmee said, inching closer to him.

He winced slightly as he felt the imaginary pull he felt around her get tighter and tighter. When she was finally close enough, she stopped in front of him, her hands making their way to weave with his. They stood in the clearing, their bodes almost touching, hands wound together. He could see her warm breath making little soft clouds in the chilly night air as they breathed. Her inviting scent swirled around him as they stood, just looking at each other in the darkness, their enhanced vision allowing them just enough sight to take each other in.

_She's not old enough yet...I can't do that to Bella...and...Edward..._He choked out the last part in his head. As much as he wanted to do very naughty things with Renesmee at that moment, he knew that dealing with a cranky daddy vampire the rest of time was not exactly what he would label 'fun'.

"Very wise thinking, Jacob Black," Edward said as he stepped into the clearing. Both Jacob and Renesmee's heads both jerked towards him, each taking in a breath of shock. Jacob quickly dropped her hands, and her head dropped in disappointment.

_I don't think I'll ever get used to him sneaking up on me..._ Jacob thought with chagrin.

"Good," Edward replied, shoving his hands into his khaki pockets. His smooth, ivory skin seemed to glow in the soft moonlight, making him look almost translucent. He stopped pacing the edge of the clearing for a moment to give Jacob another pointed look in the darkness, and this was not one that Jacob had trouble seeing.

Renesmee looked between the two of them, clearly confused after being left out of the silent conversation.

"What?"

"Never mind, Renesmee," he waved her off, looking back at Jacob. "Please go home. Your mother is waiting for you there."

"Dad!" _You're humiliating me! _ She screamed both out loud and in her head.

Edward and Jacob both startled by her yelling, turned to stare at her.

"What, Renesmee? What is it?" Edward asked, still caught off guard by his daughter's silent and vocal fuming.

_I want him to kiss me before he leaves dad, now leave us alone!!!_ Renesmee screamed mentally at her father, turning to give him a pleading look. Her cheeks filled with blood and burned scarlet at her confession to her father, but she just couldn't help it anymore.

_I should go…I've had enough 'fun' for one evening I think…_Jacob thought.

Edward gave him a subtle nod.

_I wasn't trying to upset you, Edward. Please don't tell Bella…she'll be so disappointed in me…_

Edward just looked at him. He knew he couldn't say or do anything with Renesmee staring at him.

Meanwhile, Jacob was still reeling from the entire situation. He couldn't remember feeling this anxious in a long time.

The expression on her father's face was enough to scare Jacob. He quickly touched her cheek, gave Edward a sour look and turned. He only ran a few steps when his body blurred briefly, then exploded, the material from his shorts that he still had on giving a weak ripping noise before falling to the ground like confetti.

Renesmee stared after him. She hadn't seen him ruin a pair of shorts by phasing too early in years. Turning, she gave her father a look of disbelief before darting across the river and back towards home.

Tonight, she wanted to sleep in the main house and not in the cottage where her father could hear her angry thoughts. Yes, tonight she needed some distance from her overprotective father.

She barely made it to her room in the main house before the tears started flowing down her embarrassed, hurt face.

When she woke up the next day, she wasn't surprised to see her mother sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep.

"I wasn't spying," Bella said, putting her hands up. Renesmee smiled weakly. She knew her mother wasn't as nosy as the rest of her family – she too greatly treasured her privacy.

"Are you okay? I was sad when you didn't come home last night," Bella said softly, her golden eyes searching her old brown eyes that now belonged to her daughter.

"No...Yes…I don't know. Everything is suddenly just so confusing mom! Everything is changing and I hate it!"

Bella smiled sympathetically. "Our kind doesn't respond well to change, I have to admit."

"Mom…." Renesmee whined. "This would be a horrid situation whether or not I'm stuck in a family of vampires."

"You know, I can't help you unless you fill me in a little," Bella replied. She moved closer to her daughter as Renesmee sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Can't you show me just a little?" Bella pleaded. Renesmee looked at her, feeling bad about keeping her mother out of the loop. She knew she just wanted to help.

Reaching up to her mother's face, she showed her bits and pieces of her changing feelings for Jacob, what had happened in the clearing and visions of Edward being overprotective.

"I see," Bella said softly, her golden eyes expressive with emotion for her daughter.

"Do you?" Renesmee quipped. She threw her blankets back and stood, pacing in front of the windows that lined her bedroom.

"Honey, things will work out."

Renesmee was already irritated. "Why on earth does everyone keep telling me that?"

"Because it's true!" Bella retorted. "Time can fix a lot of things. Besides…nothing seems as bad when you give yourself a few days to calm down and re-think everything.

"That's the part that's making me crazy," Renesmee said softly, her eyes glazing slightly as she looked into the morning forest.

Later that day, Renesmee sucked up her pride and called Jacob. She was still mortified that he had shot down her advances the night before, but her yearning to see him before he left for college the next day won out.

He came to the phone, his voice still groggy with sleep.

"Hello?"

"Jake?"

"Ness?"

"Hey...were you still sleeping?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Had a late night. I was patrolling with Quil all night and he wouldn't shut up about Claire."

"What's wrong with her?"

Jacob was silent for a few moments on the other end of the line, and Renesmee huffed impatiently.

"Nothing, she just finally told him that she loves him," he replied softly.

"She's nine!" Renesmee shrieked.

"I know, I know...but it was the first time she said it to him on her own. They're best friends Ness, it was a big deal for him. It's not like that. He knows she's nine."

She thought a moment, contemplating Quil and Claire and their age difference. It had been easier for her and Jake to be friends because she aged so fast, and it also helped that she wasn't exactly...normal, either. But sometimes, she just didn't understand that whole 'imprinting' thing and how weird it could be for the two people involved, especially when one of them was a were wolf and the other one was two.

"But wasn't that weird, I mean...come on Jake, be honest - she was two!"

"I know what you mean, and no. I've been inside his head for years Ness. He doesn't think that way about her. We all were really careful, watching his thoughts for years, just to be sure. He doesn't ever think of it like that, not ever. It's like it's his kid sister - it's that kind of relationship, I swear."

"Really?"

"Yeah...you can bet that if it wasn't he wouldn't still be around, trust me."

"That's good...it still blows my mind sometimes though."

"It's just natural for us," he replied.

"Yeah yeah, I know, imprint stuff...sometimes that stuff is so unbelievably weird to me..."

Jacob felt a pang of pain in his chest at her words. She really did have no clue that she was his imprint. How ironic.

"It is? Why?"

"Well, it's just the idea that he saw her when she was only two and just...that was if for him, ya know?"

"Well yeah...he knew he loved her right there. I was there, it was weird, but once everyone got over the shock of her being two, well...it was actually a really nice moment," he said honestly. And it had been.

Emily had cried at first, not understanding completely what was happening to her barely two year old niece, and Sam had taken him back in preparation to beat the shit out of him. The rest of them had been too dumb-struck to even move. However, once they all phased and got inside his head, everyone had calmed down a bit.

They had been able to see his very amazed, protective, and loving thoughts about the little girl – nothing sexual or strange whatsoever.

"It was?"

"Yeah, I mean...she never had to want for anything. She was one of the happiest kids you ever saw, kinda like you."

"Really? That is really sweet… I guess.."

Jacob sucked in her breath. Was Renesmee about to guess that she was _his _imprint? Was the secret finally going to be out?

"Yeah, but he's just been there for her whole life - he's been like a big brother, a best friend...It's not that different than how I was with you," he replied, his stomach tensing. He gripped the phone tightly, hearing the plastic creak under his intense grip.

"I know, but that was because you wanted to be around my mom...you guys were best friends. It's only natural that you should want to be around me. It's just different with Claire because she didn't even know Quil."

Jacob sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

After his frustrating phone conversation with Renesmee, Jacob tried to return to his bed for a quick nap. He was caught in the terrible struggle with his active, swirling mind and his worn, tired body. As much as he was looking forward to spending the afternoon with her, he was also dreading it.

Even though she did not possess her father's mind reading gift, it certainly did not make her any less perceptive when it came to reading his mind. Countless hours and days together had made them each so attune to each other that it was growing closer and closer to impossible to hide things from her.

Groaning, he threw the covers back from his bed, knocking over several dirty cups and bowls from his nightstand. Growling to himself, he stood and promptly tripped over another pile of boxes that were packed up, ready to go to college.

_It's like they're fucking mocking me,_ he thought, looking at them. College had been looming over he and Renesmee all summer, and now was the time that he knew he needed to leave. He knew he was a procrastinator, but this couldn't be avoided forever.

He glared at his empty bed and ran a hand through his shaggy black hair that was sticking out in all directions. Throwing open his window, he gracefully slid out and relaxed a bit as his bare feet hit the green grass below him. Going for a run would make him feel better. Jogging out behind the house, he made sure he was covered by the trees before quickly phasing. He had just begun to run and pick up the pace when he was greeted by Paul and Jared's voices.

_So what's this I hear about a tight purple sweater?!_

Jacob growled to himself as Paul's irritating voice broke into his thoughts. He had always been close with Paul, but he had to admit the short break he had gotten from a few of his pack members for a few years had been nice. After Renesmee's birth, their pack was split into two, albeit peaceful groups. When Sam retired several years later to age with Emily, his pack had all re-joined with Jacob's.

Paul was one of his best friends, but he was constantly pressing his limits with Jacob as it was. Irritatingly, Paul had imprinted on Jacob's older sister, Rebecca, which had not bothered him. What _did_ bother him was the fact that Paul sometimes chose to torture him with things that he did not want to see about his sister.

Jacob lowered his nose to the ground and used that, along with flashes from their minds to locate them in the tree line along First Beach.

_So are we going to hear more about this sweater or no? _Paul pressed. He showed Jacob flashes he had picked up from Quil's memory the night before. Although useful, their open memories and thought processes could really come back to haunt them. They could literally chose bits and pieces from other pack members' memories and show them to other pack members as if it were a 'cut, copy, and paste' method on a computer.

_Interesting…._ Jared's thoughts rang out, watching Jacob's memory of watching Renesmee bend over to drain her elk. Jacob trotted up to the other two wolves, who sat lounging on a rock face, overlooking the coast.

_Seen anything interesting lately?_ Jared asked, looking over at Jacob with a wolfy smirk.

_How is it possible for a wolf to smirk?_ Jacob asked sarcastically, glancing at him sideways as he sat down on his haunches. Jared barked a laugh before looking back out at the ocean. His method of approach was not as blunt as Paul's.

_So you are going to tell us what happened after the hunt? Or do I have to go picking your brain for it?_

_Shut up Paul. That's none of your beeswax and you know it._

_Okay, that's fine. I can just tell you about what I did to your big sister last night. _

_I swear to God Paul, if you picture my sister topless around me one more time I'm gonna puke and then rip you to pieces. _

_Touchy!_

_Isn't it about time for you to retire?!_

_Someone has their undies in a twist. Or maybe I should just start thinking about your sister's panties she had on last night…mmmmm…._

_Or maybe I could just give you an Alpha order to never be able to get it up again when she's in the room…_

_Okay Okay! _Paul snapped. He glared at Jacob before turning to give a quizzical look at Jared, who was staring back at him blankly.

_Could that really work? If he ordered us to not get a stiffie…would that work?_ Paul asked.

_Um, Kim and I would prefer you not test that theory, I think, _Jared stated, giving Paul a pointed look.

_Yeah, you two just sit there and think about that for now,_ Jacob replied. Talking with these two morons was getting him nowhere. He turned and stood, stretching a bit before he broke into a run towards Forks. He would need to clear his head to pick up Renesmee anyway.

The two made plans to go for a walk on First Beach later in the day, and after hanging up with Jacob, Renesmee ran jauntily through the forest back to the cottage.

She loved dressing up with her aunts, and she greatly appreciated her fully stocked closet of designer clothes, but sometimes the 'Bella' in her won out and she simply wanted jeans and cotton t-shirts. She knew her closet back at the cottage would contain just what she needed for her day with Jacob at the beach.

To say she felt better after talking to Jacob on the phone was an understatement; she felt ten times better, almost elated. Skipping through the front door, she became a blur of motion as she bypassed Edward in the living room and went straight for her closet.

"Jeans….Chucks…tshirt…" she murmured to herself as she grabbed the items out of her jammed full closet. Sighing, she cast an annoyed sideways glare at Edward, who had appeared in the doorway of the small, walk in closet.

"Going to the beach?"

"Get out of my head, dad," she quipped, brushing past him into the bedroom. He frowned as his dead heart felt a pang of hurt at his daughter's statement.

"You know I try, Ness."

"Try harder!" she huffed, tossing the clothes onto her bed.

"You never used to care if I could hear you," he said softly, turning to lean on the doorframe of the closet. She refused to let her brown eyes look up at his topaz ones, and let him see the hurt mirrored in them.

She felt horrible for snapping at her father, but his mind-reading, overprotective nature was beginning to wear on her.

"I just wish I was normal!" She said, finally looking up at him. "I want to be a normal teenager and have a normal life!"

Edward looked at her, slightly shocked. He knew from years of hearing her thoughts that his daughter had always been slightly upset that she could not do 'normal' activities, but her love for her family and Jacob had always won out. Now, it seemed, that was not the case.

"Renesmee, dear, you are not normal, I'm afraid. I am truly sorry that my gift is annoying to you at times…I do not wish to invade your thoughts, but you must understand that I find it difficult not to hear them most of the time. You're my little girl, and I-"

"I'm not your little girl anymore dad!" She cut him off. "I'm going to the beach with Jacob today to try and make up for you _growling_ at him last night!"

"Alone?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She grabbed her clothes off the bed and looked at him, determined and proud.

"_Yes_," she snapped, heading for the bathroom. Edward stood still as a statue as she slammed the door behind her.

Later that day, Jacob and Resnesmee found themselves on First Beach down in La Push, not alone, but with none other than Quil and Claire. The two of them laughed and rolled their eyes and nine year old Claire enlisted Quil's help to make her very own sand castle.

"Claire, this sand is to wet to make a sand castle...it has to be just the right texture to make a good one!" Quil whined.

"Quil..." Claire said, sticking out her lower lip. With a heavy sigh, Quil picked up the bucket they had brought and began scooping sand into it to make the base.

"Want to go for a walk?" Jake asked, tugging her hand slightly. Renesmee nodded. She loved Claire, and Quil even more - he was Jacob's best friend, and she was used to the three of them spending a lot of time together. However, right now she just wanted alone time with Jacob. This was his last day before he left for Washington State the next day.

"We'll be back," Jacob said to Quil, who barely even looked up from his duty as extra sand-fetcher for Claire.

They laughed and continued walking down the beach, laughing to themselves about goofy Quil and his imprint.

"He's so funny around her...it's like he can't tell her no!" Renesmee mused.

"Yeah, something like that," Jacob muttered, kicking at the rocks below his feet.

"She's cute though, I'm happy that she makes him so happy all the time. He's always grinning like an idiot when he's around him."

"Yeah, she makes him really happy. I'm just glad she's finally getting older. It seemed like she was a tiny little girl for so long, it's nice to see that she's getting closer to his age."

"She's nine, right?"

Jacob nodded. "Soon to be ten."

"She's still too young for him, by a lot. I feel so bad for him that he has to wait for her," Renesmee said.

_Almost as bad as I feel that I'm not the right age for you...,_ she thought bitterly.

"He doesn't mind...trust me."

"That imprint stuff is so complicated," she replied, looking up at the cloudy sky.

"Why?"

"Well, like I said earlier...how much would it suck to fall in love with a baby?"

"He didn't mind, trust me. Like I said, imprinting is very powerful. We don't even understand it, and it's a part of our heritage. It's just...different than normal relationships Nessie...I don't know how to explain it."

"Try."

Jacob swallowed, not sure how to explain it. "Well, it's like a magnet. There's no rhyme or reason to it, it's just something that pulls you and attracts you like nothing else you've ever felt before," he said. He looked down at her, waiting to hear her response.

"I guess I can understand that...it's just that I still feel bad for him having to hang around with a little girl all the time. I mean, the poor guy doesn't even _date_!"

"You don't get it Ness; he wouldn't want to. Being away from Claire and dating another girl would be the most unnatural feeling in the world. Even though she's only nine, it would still feel like he's cheating on her...he wouldn't like whoever he was with, because it wouldn't be Claire."

"I guess...," she trailed off. "But it would suck to be able to date and not go one at least one, just to see what it's like."

"I've taken you on dates!" He huffed playfully, pretending to sound hurt. She grinned up at him, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Hunting together in the woods doesn't count Jake. Neither does watching a movie with my parents…not exactly what I would label as 'dates'."

"Fine, fine. Well if you like, I will take you on a 'date' date sometime then," he laughed.

_If only he was serious…_she thought wistfully.

"You know, you and Claire used to play together all the time," Jacob said, jabbing her playfully in the ribs.

"I know, I know...she would give me weird looks all the time though," Renesmee mused, thinking back to her few play dates with Claire.

"Yeah, even at three she knew that it wasn't normal for you to be reading her chapter books when you were supposed to be the same age!" Jacob guffawed.

"Shut up! So I'm advanced...I'm one-of-a-kind..." she trailed off, raising her nose in the salty ocean air. Jacob elbowed her again and snorted. They continued to walk down the beach on that cloudy day, both of them knowing that there were more serious things on both of their minds.

"Would it have been easier?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Easier how?" He asked, bumping her lightly as they walked.

She reached up and showed him what she meant. In her thoughts, she showed him herself, but as a toddler, playing with Claire. She then made herself age slowly, just like Claire did - normally. Jacob jerked away from her soft yet granite-like palm, frowning down at her.

"No!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She flinched internally as his blazing hot skin made contact with her slightly cool skin, but settled into the change easily.

"Why not? Wouldn't it have been easier? More...normal?"

"No, Nessie, never. I've never wanted you to be normal. I like you...you're special."

As if on cue, the sun peeked its way through the cloudy Washington day, a few rays of sun hitting the beach. Renesmee smiled, spying a place where one of the sunbeams hit the sand, bounding over to stand in the middle of it. Her skin didn't shine brilliantly like diamonds like Edwards and now Bella's did, but it still had a luminous glow that didn't look quite human. Jacob had always loved it. To him, it looked like the shine that the pearls he and his friends had pried from the mussels they found in the wave pools not far from there.

Then sun quickly faded and ducked back beneath the clouds, as was normal in their cloudy state of Washington.

"Constant cover of clouds..." Jacob mused, looking up at the dreary sky. He stopped walking, turning to embrace Renesmee. All of the tension that had been building up between them the past few days quickly faded away as he hugged her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Jakey," she mused, holding his blazing hot body tight.

Jacob winced at the strength of her grip. "You know, it's a good thing that I'm not exactly human either, otherwise you'd break me!" he joked.

"Jake.." She reached up to touch her palm to his cheek, frowning. _Please don't joke, this are our last minutes together before you leave me...I want to say my good-byes.._. she thought to him.

"No," he whined, brushing a stray lock of hair off her face. He thought a moment, his eyes lighting up. "Come to the bonfire with me tomorrow night. It's my last one for awhile…it will be fun."

"Really?" she asked. She had been to a few as a child, but it was more of something for wolf pack members and their imprints, aka girlfriends. She had always felt out of place. _Perhaps this is my chance…_she thought.

"Yeah, really. I would love for you to come with me."

"If you're sure."

"Absolutely." He palmed the top of her head, messing up her already wind-blown curls.

"Jake!" she hissed, darting away. He laughed his infectious laugh, and soon she couldn't help but return to his side with a smile. She linked her arm with his as they lazily walked down First Beach.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," he replied, brushing his shaggy hair out of his face. He had been letting his hair grow lately, at her request. It was a request that he had chuckled about for some reason. It was now almost down to his chin, and it hung in shaggy, tangled mass. Renesmee loved it.

"Are you gonna miss me?" she asked, looking up at him with expectant eyes.

Jacob snorted again. "Of course I will...we've never been apart for more than a few days! I get nervous every time I think about leaving you till Christmas," he replied, looking away from her. He could feel his throat tightening and his breathing become a little labored as he began to feel choked up. He tried to focus on the waves as they crashed into the sand a few yards away from where they stood.

"It's the longest we'll EVER be apart, promise me," she said, her brown eyes emotional.

"I promise," he said shortly. His emotions were quickly getting the rest of him.

"Good," she said, giving him a satisfied smile. She followed his gaze out to the ocean waves, and her expression changed quickly to somber.

He gave her a weak, tight lipped smile, and grasped both of her hands tightly as they stood in front of the ocean. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the salty ocean spray misting on his skin. Looking back down at her trusting, chocolate brown eyes, he sighed.

She looked up at him, her eyes expressing confusion, and he snorted quietly.

_Sometimes she looks so much like her mother with those eyes and some of those facial expressions. _

"You're always gonna be my special girl, right?"

Renesmee felt her breath choke up in her throat. "As long as you'll always be my special guy," she breathed, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally spilling over.

He laughed, trying to disguise his own anguish at her statement. "Corny much?"

She pulled one of her hands out of his to lightly punch his arm. "You started it," she said softly, looking up at him with a pained smile. They both knew that their teasing was really them putting off the inevitable subject at hand.

"I'm gonna miss you, Nessie….but I've been putting off college for so long. You understand that, right?" he asked. He knew that she knew college was a necessity for him, but he still didn't want her to feel abandoned.

She nodded, looking down at the sand they were standing on. "I know," she said softly.

Jacob fought the urge to spill his own tears as that sight of his imprint upset. He wrapped his arms in a tight embrace around her, nestling his nose into her coppery hair. The salty ocean air blew around them, as if escort him away on his journey. Renesmee snuggled up to his warm chest, inhaling his scent as if it was the last time she would ever smell it.

_We fit together like two puzzle pieces…this is where I belong, always. I hope_, she thought to herself as she let her cool cheek delightfully burn on his hot chest.

"I'll always be here for you, Nessie."

"I know…you're my other half, Jake. You can't stay away for too long, I'd die without you here," she said with another soft laugh. They both knew that she was joking, but he couldn't help but consider the weight of her words as they echoed in his head.

_You have no idea_, he added to himself.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Hey there Phantom Readers! I know you're out there! I see you!

Please review? I know people are reading this and it breaks my little heart not to get even a teeny tiny review from you all : *(

So if you have a comment, compliment, suggestions, PLEASE take a quick sec and drop me a review! You would seriously make my day!


	6. I'm caught up in you

_You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
You held your breath and the door for me  
You're the best listener that I've ever met  
You're my best friend_

_Head Over Feet – Alanis Morissette_

_~*~_

* * *

Okay, here is an add on. For a moment, let's pretend this story is a movie and this is a deleted scene.

Halfway through (it is marked) we** switch to JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW!** This is part of the reason this was cut from the story originally. Jacob's POV section was the one-shot I had written that the entire story is based off of. I had cut it out and built a story around it, but thought that it would be fun to add it back in. So please forgive me, **I know it's strange to suddenly throw it back in there in his point of view**, but it is a cute moment that was very inspirational for me, and thought you readers would enjoy it.

* * *

**Chapter 4 (part II)**

Jacob watched as Renesmee twirled on the squeaky seat up at the auto shop. Her long, golden hair swung with her movement, the spinning motion making her giggle slightly.

"Can vampires get dizzy?" Seth asked, sliding out from underneath the car he was working on. He grinned up at Renesmee, sticking his tongue out at her.

"I guess I can, can you?" she laughed, spinning the creaky chair around again.

"You're avoiding the question, Nessie," he laughed.

"Yes, I can get dizzy Seth!" she laughed with him. She chucked a wrench at him and purposefully missed, making him laugh and scoot back under the car.

"Be nice Seth, next time she might not miss," Jacob warned.

"You guys are just jealous of my half-vampire-ness," she said, raising her nose in the air.

"Seth might be…I think he's always wanted to be a vampire."

Seth laughed from under the car, popping back out from underneath him. "Hey you know, maybe Nahuel could introduce me to one of his sisters!"

Renesmee laughed, shaking her head. "Seth, what if his sisters are venomous and they accidentally bite you in the throes of passion? What would you do then?" she asked.

He smirked and glanced up at Jacob, the two of them sharing a knowing look. "Maybe some of them aren't venomous! Anyway…dating a half vampire chick would be hot," Seth added. "Let's hope I would be able to make her want to bite me in the 'throes of passion'," he added, using air quotes to make his point. Renesmee blushed and looked at the ground at his last comment, laughing to herself.

She had bitten Jake _several _times when she was younger, although it had not exactly been done in passion. More out of his unwillingness to go on a hunt with her.

"You would really date a half vampire?" she asked, leaning forward in the chair. It groaned in protest, but she pretended not to notice.

He thought a moment, twirling the discarded wrench in his large, tan hands. He tossed his head to move his shaggy black locks out of his face and grinned.

"If I imprinted on her, yeah. I think it would be awesome, actually."

"You would," Jacob grumbled, rolling his eyes. He waited until Renesmee wasn't watching before giving Seth a warning glare. He didn't like the subject of imprinting to be brought up around her often; he knew it would raise questions, as it had in the past. Renesmee has asked him several times about the subject, and he had been meticulously vague about the entire thing. That had worked when she was younger and had the attention span of a butterfly, but that would hardly work now.

"Yeah, I would," Seth snapped back playfully. The cheerful younger boy cocked his eyebrows at Jake, who growled under his breath. Renesmee looked up at him, frowning.

"Jake," she hissed before turning her attention back to Seth. "So you really would date a half vampire?"

"Well-"

"What…why are you so interested?" Jake finally interjected, waving his hands. "No, enough, enough, enough…just…"

Renesmee laughed at his blatant distaste for their conversation and continued to twirl in the chair as Seth laughed loudly, his chortles echoing in the large garage.

Jacob crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at his young pack mate.

"Isn't it about time to close up?" he asked sourly. He was tired of watching Seth flirt with his imprint like he had been for the past few hours. Renesmee had been bored all day, so she had come over to the shop to help Jake and Seth work the rest of their Saturday night shift. He knew Seth was harmless though – he knew that Renesmee was _his_ and that Seth didn't stand a chance. Right?

"Yeah, Brady's making me scour Makah with him tonight anyway, I'd better get home and shower…never know who I might meet," Seth said, flashing his white teeth and raising a dark eyebrow.

Renesmee laughed and Jacob just rolled his eyes. Not that he could blame Seth – he and a few of the other boys who had been wolves for awhile now and who didn't have imprints yet were starting to get antsy. It was a tedious thing to be stuck at seventeen or eighteen and not have a girlfriend all these years. Being a wolf gave them tons of opportunities with the local selection of girls, but they all had to be careful – it wouldn't be good to get attached to a girl in case they imprinted on another girl. They had _all _ seen enough in the minds of Sam and Leah to know that that situation never worked out well.

So, every few weeks the unattached boys would drive up to Makah, Forks, or other local towns to hang out and hopefully meet their imprints. Tonight, Seth was on such a trip.

He scowled again as Seth stood up, and Renesmee's eyes followed him as he began to put his tools away.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Jacob asked her, giving her side a nudge. She stopped moving on the squeaky chair and looked up at him.

"I'm not sure, why?"

He shrugged. "Just thought about…going to get some food up in Port Angeles," he mumbled. She jerked her head up to look at him in amazement.

"Seriously?" She asked excitedly. She almost never got to go anywhere besides Forks or La Push, so even the idea of getting to go Port Angeles was an appealing offer.

"Yeah, I mean…why not," mumbled again, absently scratching behind his ear. Seth snorted from the bench where he was putting away his tools, but said nothing.

"Okay, well….when can we go?"

Jacob bit his lip and looked around casually, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. "Well, I uh..just wanna run home and grab a quick shower, did you need to go home first too?"

Renesmee burst out into a fit of giggles, hopping down from her perch on the decrepit chair. "Wait, Jacob Black wants to go home and _shower_ before he goes home to eat? Wow, mark this one down in the record books…Cleanliness before food…amazing!" she giggled. Jacob felt his cheeks get hot before he shook his head at her and grimaced.

"Yes, I had a long day at the shop and I smell like grease! The grease scent is hard on my…enhanced nose, and it…gets on my nerves," he finally choked out, averting his eyes from her.

"Good one," Seth said under his breath. Jacob growled again, emitting another set of laughs from Renesmee.

"Whatever Jake," she said, tossing her hair behind her shoulders before skipping out of the shop.

Jacob went to follow her, but paused to look at Seth. "I…I don't want to hear it," he warned, his cheeks now fully blushed.

"Just one question," Seth said, his face growing serious. Jacob looked to make sure Renesmee was outside the doors, and stepped closer to Seth to hear his concern.

"Yeah, what is it?" he asked seriously. Seth sighed a moment, his face contemplative, the humor all gone from it. He looked up at his Alpha, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Jake, are you blushing?"

Jacob swung at him, Seth backing up into the workbench just far enough to miss his large first. He burst into another set of loud laughs, and Jacob just panted in anger as he grabbed his keys off the counter. Seth's laughter continued to echo against the concrete floors, making it even louder than it was.

"You're lucky I missed," Jake muttered, shaking a finger at him as he stomped out of the garage. Seth just continued to laugh to himself as he closed up the shop.

"Stupid mutt," Jacob grumbled to himself.

* * *

**((JACOB'S POV))**

"So why did we come all the way to Port Angeles again?" Renesmee asked me, holding her hand out the window of the truck. The sun had just barely set on that Sunday afternoon, still casting a faint glow from where it was nestled in the horizon. The light gave her skin the most beautiful glow, and I had to be careful make sure I was keeping my truck on the road and not staring at her too much.

God she was beautiful.

Her long, coppery hair hung loose around her shoulders, blowing in the wind as we barreled down the back roads towards Port Angeles. It was a muggy evening and we had all the windows rolled down, making her locks dance around the cab of the truck in the wind. Most girls wouldn't have let me drive with all the windows down like that. A normal girl would have wined and complained that it was too windy and it was messing up her hair, making it get caught in her lip gloss. But not Renesmee.

She was so naturally gorgeous that she didn't need to worry about any of that crap, and for that I was glad. God she was so much like Bella sometimes it made me want to cry with joy. And I know that sounds very un-Alpha like, but it's true. For me at least.

I really did used to think that Bella was the love of my life. My world revolved around her before Renesmee was born. No offense to Bella, but…she didn't even compare to my Nessie. Bella was beautiful, kind, and wonderful in her own way, but she belonged to Edward; and I was glad for that. I respected that now. I was more than happy to have her daughter someday belong to me, and me to her.

I had literally gotten the best of both worlds – no, every world, when it came to Renesmee. As I watched her calmly enjoy the wind in her hair and the cool of the nighttime on her cheeks, she reminds me so much of her mother that I'm so glad I was this lucky. Even if she was half vampire, I'd like to think that I she got the best of Bella's human traits in her other side. She was stubborn, she was simple in her likes and dislikes, she loved unconditionally, and she put up with me, for what it was worth.

I had been so love sick over her mother that it makes me a little sad now. The irony of the situation haunts me every day, and isn't lost. I had fought, tooth and nail and even a little dirty to get her parents apart. And instead, Bella's stubbornness had won out over my determination, and she had in turn given me the one thing that held the key to my happiness forever. No, that fact certainly wasn't lost on me.

"Jake?" she asked again, snapping me back to reality.

"What?" I asked, trying to appear like I hadn't been contemplating her entire existence.

"Why are we going to Port Angeles?"

I shifted nervously, trying to come up with a good answer for her blunt question. It was so much like Bella to just ask a question flat out, no pretenses. _Lord…_

"I duno, Ness…just wanted some Italian I guess. Didn't feel like cooking, wanted to get out of town for a sec…why?"

She just shrugged and looked back out the window as we pulled into the scenic little town. After a few moments, she reached over and pressed her palm to my neck and flashed me a happy thought.

_Glad to be out of Forks without a vampire babysitter. Happy to get to eat in a restaurant. I always have fun with you Jake._

I smiled at her awkwardly, scared to look too thrilled by her thoughts. Of course I was ecstatic that I got to take her out to dinner. I longed for the day when I could take her out to an even nicer dinner than this, and tell her how I really felt about her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't fantasize. Sure, Edward frowned at me slightly when I picked her up, but he would just have to get over it. I wasn't breaking any silent treaty that I had about his daughter with him, and I kept my thoughts clean as she bounced out of the house and into my Chevy.

I had given him the bare bones explanation in my head as I pulled up, knowing he could hear me.

_Just want to have a nice night with her before I leave soon. Nothing will happen, you know I'd take care of her. Just dinner, Edward. Don't feel like making Esme cook. I swear._

He had given me quite the exasperated grimace from the upstairs window, and I hadn't felt guilty about it at all – it was the truth.

Edward had glared at me again, looking quite like a vampire at that moment, but had shrugged and been unapologetic for my observation.

_You always look exasperated when I'm around, Eddie. Just chill out, okay?_

He had slunk away from the window as he his daughter had climbed into my truck, but I shook my head and tried to forget about her moody father.

Renesmee still had a little over a month before her seventh birthday, and I had kept my word this far. I was going to respect Edward's wishes, plain and simple. If I didn't, I knew that the bloodsucker wouldn't let me ever forget it. Literally, _ever._

I drove up to the only Italian joint in the town, parking quickly and jumping out. My stomach was already rumbling as the scent of garlic and tomatoes wafted out of the little restaurant. Renesmee paused inside the cab, and I motioned for her to get out. She frowned slightly as she opened the door, but happily walked slightly behind me to the front door of the place.

_Should I have opened her door for her? No…that would make this seem like a date. Too weird. Right? Oh crap. Good job, Jake._

I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts and at least opened the front door for her to enter the tiny building.

"Thanks!" she said softly, her eyes lighting up as she walked in. Renesmee _loved _to go anywhere in public. Her parents had to be careful where they let her go and with whom though, understandably because she had aged quite quickly when none of us had so much as aged a single day. It was hard thing to explain to ourselves, much less anyone else.

"How many?" the host asked, his eyes flicking appreciatively up and down Renesmee. I struggled with situations like these.

"Two," I said sternly, eying him. He smiled apologetically at me, and nodded.

"This way," he said simply, leading us away.

It wasn't like I could blame him. Renesmee didn't look like a normal sixteen, almost seventeen year old. She had never gone through that awkward stage that most girls I had known in high school went through. It seemed like every girl in high school had a few years where things never looked quite right; they hadn't figured out a good hairstyle yet, their clothes didn't really fit right due to their puberty-ridden bodies, they were experimenting with bad makeup, and maybe they had braces or unfortunate skin.

Renesmee had just gone from 'cute', to 'pretty', to 'unearthly beautiful'. I frowned at the waiter again as he sat us down at a somewhat private table against the back windows of the room. The large windows lining the back of the restaurant overlooked the bay, and it was evident that he had placed us at a 'date' table. This became even more apparent when he lit the candle between us and set down a wine list.

He walked away, and Renesmee's eyes lit up as they scanned the list of foreign sounding alcoholic beverages, all high priced and extravagant.

"No," I said flatly, snatching the list up from in front of her and tucking it under my menu.

She frowned her pretty eyebrows at me and bit her lip. "Why?"

"You're six. I shouldn't even have to…just…no," I finally settled.

She looked at me carefully, then down at where the drink list was hidden under my menu. "Can _you_ order a drink?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I could, yes."

"So why don't you?" she prodded, picking absently at the binding on her menu.

I sighed and just shook my head at her. Yes, I could technically have a drink, if I wanted to. It wouldn't do me any good though. I knew from several excruciating hangovers that it took a LOT of alcohol to get a were wolf intoxicated.

"Alcohol never leads to good things, Ness."

She pressed her palm to my forearm and laughed. _What if I don't mind if it doesn't lead to 'good things'? _

I jerked my hand back as she laughed her musical laugh, picking up my menu. "Nessie, knock it off," I grumbled, trying to concentrate enough to read the italicized print in front of me.

"Jake…come on, I'm joking," she laughed, picking up her own menu. I instantly felt bad for snapping at her. She rarely got to go out, and I hated to upset her. Well, honestly it physically _hurt_ me to upset her. _Yes, one of the joys of imprinting. _

She dropped her eyes back to her menu, but not before glancing sideways at the drink menu again. I knew she wanted a drink, and so did the nagging feeling in my gut. When I upset her or hurt her feelings, it felt like the steel cables she had attached to my heart at her birth were literally twisting and tightening on the sensitive organ.

The waiter returned, and I felt my resolve weakening.

"To drink?" He asked lightly. Renesmee shrugged and looked up at him. "I'll just have water," she said quietly.

"Another for me," I said quickly. My eyes darted down the forbidden drink menu, and I coughed slightly before speaking again.

"And a…Bahama Mama, please…" I practically mumbled, cringing at the sound of the fruity, girly drink as it rolled off my tongue. If I would have been a wolf right now, my ears would have been flat against my head and my tail between my legs.

_Oh for fucks sake…_

"Oh, yes. Very good sir," the waiter chirped, clearly amused at my choice of beverage before scuttling away.

Renesmee beamed at me, clearly ecstatic that I had ordered a drink. "Jake…" she said softly, bouncing a little in her seat.

"What?" I asked. "I just ordered a drink…and you can have a sip of it I guess," I mumbled.

"Jake, you didn't order a ….what was it?"

"Bahama Mama," I spat, rolling my eyes.

"Right. You didn't order that for yourself, I can tell," she gleamed. I shook my finger at her and eyed her across the table.

"If you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone or think about it in front of your father, he's going to have my ball-" I stopped short of _balls on a platter_ and swallowed loudly, making sure she got the idea. She grinned again and clapped her hands excitedly to herself before carefully spreading her napkin daintily in her lap.

"You okay?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows at her. She nodded, realizing that I was asking about her thirst in such close proximity with this many humans.

"I hadn't even thought of it, honestly," she said thoughtfully.

I rolled my eyes again and looked out the window as we waited for our drinks. Then Renesmee did something I'd never seen her do before. She pulled a tiny compact mirror out of her purse and carefully applied some shiny gloss to her pink lips. I frowned, and she looked up, clearly startled.

"What?" she asked, putting it down.

"What do you need that crap for?" I huffed, digging into the bread on the table. Renesmee was too pretty to need makeup, and I didn't need even _more_ of a reason for guys to stare at her.

"I like it, Jake, get over it," she snapped quickly, applying another coat.

"Nessie, you don't need makeup, jeez," I grumbled, stuffing a piece of bread in my mouth. _Good lord am I hungry…_

"Jake, it's just some lip gloss. I like to look nice!" she said.

"You were awful dressed up today to hang out at the shop," I noted, grabbing another piece of the fluffy bread. I was teasing her, but I wanted to hear her reaction.

"Jake, I'm wearing the same thing I am now. Just jeans a top," she said haughtily.

I gave her a knowing, annoyed look, and she broke into a grin. "Jake, it's just jeans and a black shirt. Really?"

_I wasn't' going to play this game with her_. Okay, maybe I was.

"You're wearing a…_guy getting_ shirt and jeans…Ness, your jeans have sparkly stuff on the butt. Now if that's not just asking for some guy to gawk at your behind, I don't know what is. It's like a flashing sign for a guy when a girl has sparkly crap on the butt her jeans. That's like saying, 'Look at me! I'm shiny!'"

She crossed her arms and raised a perfect eyebrow at me. "I got you to look at my 'behind'," she sneered, giving me a smartass look.

I couldn't help but laugh at her. She had caught me. "Ness…" I laughed, shaking my head at her. "Alice dress you?" I asked.

She nodded, still clearly slightly offended at my observation. She twirled one of the chunky rings on her pale finger, looking down at the table. "I just wanted to look nice, and Alice likes to dress me," she pouted.

I bit the corner of my lip and leaned back in my chair. "You wanted to look nice for Seth?" I teased. She jerked her head up, undoubtedly noticing the mischievous glint in my eye. Her gorgeous face slowly broke into a grin, and she shook her head.

"Maybe I did," she teased back. For a moment, I panicked. What if she did have a crush on Seth? What would I do _then? _

"He did say that dating a half vampire chick would be hot," she added, picking up a piece of the bread on the table. She picked at it absently, looking around the busy Italian restaurant.

"You're on crack," I shot back at her with an annoyed grimace, picking up my menu again.

"Why didn't you go with them to look for girls in Makah?" she asked matter of factly.

I nearly choked on my own saliva at her question. "What?"

"Why didn't you go?" she asked again, looking at me pointedly. I shook my head, trying to calm myself down and appear nonchalant.

"I've got enough on my plate, the last thing I need is go to scouring for girls up in silly Makah," I grumbled, picking up my menu. I pretended to pour over it, hoping she would drop the question.

"You never go looking for girls," she said softly.

I looked up at her, flinching slightly at the sight of her beautiful brown eyes as they stared at me.

"I've got enough to do as it is. What being an Alpha to a pack of girl-crazy wolves and a best friend who wears jeans that make her look like she fell in a be-dazzler," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

She laughed and looked down at her jeans.

"These are expensive jeans, mister. They're 'Miss Me's'!" she huffed.

"Like I know what that means. My jeans are 'ripped', so… congratulations," I laughed.

"And this is not a 'guy getting' top," she added, adjusting the long black sleeves. I rolled my eyes again and tried to look away. The shirt was black and form fitting, a criss crossing design placed right below the deep 'v' neckline of it. It was slightly low in the back and low in the front, showing off her elegant neck and shoulders and somewhat new cleavage.

_Yeah, my ass,_ I thought bitterly.

I felt bad again though. She never got to go out, and if she wanted to dress up to go to a tiny Italian shack two towns away, I certainly wasn't going to stop her. I couldn't blame Renesmee for wanting to be girly for once – she hunted, ran around without shoes most of the time, and hung around with huge, smelly guys. She didn't flinch at blood, danger, or guy talk. She would never get to hang out with any girlfriends...well, _living_ girlfriends, as I liked to tease Rosalie. Renesmee didn't get to go to football games, shopping at the mall, to high school, or to senior prom. No, I certainly wasn't going to take tonight away from her.

"You look gorgeous as always," I finally said softly, giving her a rarely spoken compliment. For as much as I teased her and gave her my playful crap, I could at least give her that.

"Thanks Jake," she said, reaching over to show me with her palm her closet at the Cullen house. She showed me flashes of the walk in closet that was stuffed with fancy looking designer jeans, dangerous looking, sexy high heels, sparkly, scandalous tops and dresses, and drawers full of rhinestone jewelry and dangley earrings that she never got to wear.

Our drinks came, and I was sure Renesmee would bounce out of her seat from excitement as she ignored her water and eyed the tall, colorful glass set in front of me. It was in a weirdly shaped, tall glass, complete with an array of tropical fruit on a stick and garnished with a pink umbrella.

"Thanks," I said flatly as it was set in front of me. The waiter just snickered and took our food order before scampering away.

"One word…" I warned, pushing the cocktail towards her. She nodded and beamed at me before taking a sip. She tasted it, contemplating the mixture on her tongue for a moment.

"It's…_good_," she said happily, taking another sip. I snatched it away from her, looking around to make sure no one saw.

"Well good, remember it because you're _never _going to drink again," I warned, taking a large drag out of the straw. I felt ridiculous drinking something with a pink umbrella, but I didn't want her to have that much of it just in case she did slip and think about it in front of her father.

It _was_ good though.

Our food finally came, and I laughed and had to remind her to eat instead of people watching like she was doing. I felt a pang in my heart as I realized that she wasn't even excited about the good food like I was; she was mainly just thrilled to be away from her family and out in a public place. We enjoyed our meal mainly in silence; she knew better than try and talk to me when I was busy stuffing myself.

I let her have one more sip of the drink before taking it back and finishing it myself..

_Wait…what the…._I frowned as I sucked on the red straw, sticking my tongue on it to taste the stickiness that covered the end of it. The cinnamon, sweet tasting goo tingled on my sensitive tongue, and I realized what it was.

_Good lord, that's her lip gloss. Oh God…even her lip gloss tastes that good. I wonder what she tastes like…_

"Jake?" she asked, standing up. My eyes flashed to the shiny rhinestones on the back pockets of her jeans as she stood and stretched slightly, the light from the candle making them glint.

"Yeah?" I asked quickly, looking up at her. She gave me a weird look but then smiled. "Ready to go?" she asked.

I nodded and paid quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her past the leering wait staff that was lingering by the host station. They watched and I could practically _hear_ them panting at the sight of her walking by.

One guy in particular was smiling at her, trying to dazzle her. I gave him a glowering stare and put my hand on her shoulder as we pushed past them towards the exit. His eyes fell to the ground as I made it clear that she was with _me._

"Have a good evening," he called to her.

"Oh, _we_ will," I said smartly. The look on their faces was priceless.

I growled to myself as I dragged her out of the restaurant, but she didn't notice. She simply grasped my hand like she did when she was a little girl, the rhythmic sound of her little flat shoes the only sound on the pavement as we walked to my truck.

Before she climbed in the cab, she turned and pressed her palm to my cheek and I almost flinched at the feeling of her hand. I was on edge enough already as it was.

_Thanks Jake…I needed tonight. Bahama Mama included._

I shook my head as she laughed and bounced up into the cab, and I shut the door behind her. We rode back mostly in comfortable silence, the windows down again.

When we were almost to her house, she looked at me and smiled. "Can we go out to dinner again?" she asked. My heart stuttered once at her question and I tried to shake it off.

"Nessie, why do you want to go to dinner again with a smelly old were wolf?" I asked, ruffling her hair. She shied away, an annoyed look briefly crossing her pretty features.

"Jake…I like to go out, especially with you. You don't act like I'm a bomb about to go off," she complained. She was serious again and her eyes fell to her lap sadly. My heart once again ached at her pain, and I swallowed nervously.

"Nessie, we're only trying to protect you. We don't want to take chances. Those Volturi are sneaky bastards, you never know what they would do to get to you," I said softly. And I believed that with every fiber of my being.

She was silent for a moment, as if she was deep in thought.

"It's just nice to…get out, every once in awhile. I just liked it," she said simply.

I looked at her and offered a sympathetic smile, unsure of what to say to fix this.

"I just want to have some experiences in my life that…well, frankly, that I know my family would never let me have," she said.

I snorted. "Like what?"

She shrugged, reaching over to lift my shirtsleeve and gently trace the blackened tribal tattoo that engulfed my right shoulder. "Maybe I want a tattoo," she stated, rubbing her velvety finger across the dyed skin there.

My mind flashed back to that time almost a decade ago. I had just phased that morning, and my pack mates had wasted no time hauling me down to a local house in La Push so that one of the Quileute elder's sons could tattoo the symbol on my arm. I had been nothing more than a scared little boy at that point with no idea what lay before me. I shuddered at the thought, glancing at the design on my arm briefly. She continued to run her finger around the slightly raised edges, causing me to shudder again, but for a different reason. Her lips curled up into a gleeful smile as goose bumps appeared on my arms.

"Ness, you can't get a tattoo. Your skin wouldn't take it," I said defiantly to her.

"Okay then, maybe I want to go bungee jumping. Or skydiving…or…or to a club in Los Angeles!" she huffed, listing off the multiple dangerous possibilities.

"Maybe I want to just jump out of a plane, or…jump on the back of a motorcycle, or-"

"You want to ride a motorcycle?" I asked suddenly, very surprised.

She nodded. "Sure!"

I had to laugh at her willingness to laugh danger in the face.

"I just want to do something…fun, and different. Something I've never done before," she said, a longing tone to her voice. I smiled, suddenly graced with an idea.

"I just want to have an e_xperience."_

_Surely Edward wouldn't mind that…._I thought to myself.

The night was hot and balmy still as we drove the rest of the way to her house. I dropped her off and promised to come back soon as soon as she began to complain about her Saturday night fun being 'cut short.' I raced back to La Push, parking my truck sloppily in the driveway to run out to my shed.

"I am such a sucker," I groaned to myself, pulling the tarp back.

I fought the urge to turn around and go back home the entire way back to the main Cullen house. I knew Edward would hear me coming and probably be mad, but I couldn't take hearing and feeling Renesmee's pain anymore than I already had that night. If this would pacify her as much as the restaurant did, then I would gladly do it. Enough was enough, and I was determined to at least make her feel a little better about not ever getting to do anything.

I pulled the motorcycle that had once been Bella's into the driveway, and Emmett, Edward, and Renesmee were already standing on the front porch. Renesmee was practically jumping up and down, Emmett had what was possibly _the_ most amused smirk on his face, and Edward was…well, Edward was being Edward. His stony arms were crossed and I could see his scowl even in the darkness of the night as he looked at me. Renesmee bounced off the porch, racing over to fling her arms around me happily.

"Jake! I didn't know you had one of these! Oh!" she squealed, her hands excitedly balling themselves into fists.

It felt amazing to see her this happy. My heart soared knowing that I alone had put that smile on her face, and that I was making her so joyously happy that she could hardly contain herself.

I heard a deep growl from the porch, followed by Emmett's amused chortle.

"Absolutely not."

Renesmee froze, and my eyes darted up to look at Edward who was still glowering at me from the stop step.

"What?" Renesmee said suddenly, turning to look at her father. Her eyes widened in surprise sadness, and her arms dropped to her sides. The crickets chirped in the silence, no one saying a word for a few moments.

"I said no, Renesmee," he said sternly. Emmett just shook his head and winced, looking away. He knew what was coming.

I watched as Renesmee's beautiful chocolate brown eyes welled up with salty smelling tears that threatened to spill over onto her flushed cheeks. She angrily batted them away as they fell, her pride sticking through.

_Edward, I brought a helmet, _I thought pointedly at him, holding up the small, black object.

He looked at me, shocked, but still shook his head. "Renesmee, go inside please," he said.

"But dad, I want to go on the motorcycle!" she wailed, flitting up to stand at his side. I could see his iron resolve waiver, and I jumped at it.

_See? Not so easy to tell her no, is it? _

"Jacob, you're not helping," he snapped quickly, turning away from me. He gently grasped her shoulders, visibly trying to control his emotions. "Renesmee, darling, you cannot get on that thing with him. It's too dangerous."

"Oh, but its okay for me to take a ride on a giant were wolf through the woods?" she snapped back at him.

_Oohhh.., good one, Ness…_I thought to myself.

Edward glared at me sternly, then turned back to his daughter. "Renesmee, in the forest there is no danger of you falling off of Jacob and getting struck by a car. What would happen if you were run over and walked away unscathed? What if humans saw that? What would they think? And what if somehow you did get hurt? I would never…no, Renesmee, just…no."

"Where's mom?" Renesmee sniffed, stomping up the steps.

"She's hunting in Canada with everyone else," Edward said softly. "She wouldn't object with me either, I'm sure."

"That's crap and you know it!" she wailed again, flinging the door open. It groaned in protest at her strong hands, but stayed put on the frame. Emmett watched with an amused look, and I could practically see him biting his own tongue to keep from commenting. I rolled my eyes and flipped the kickstand down, stepping off the dirt bike.

"Edward, come on. I just wanted to do something with her that would be fun," I said, walking around to stand in front of him.

"Jacob, if I let her do this, then she's going to start thinking she can get away with all sorts of things. Don't think I didn't hear her prattling off the list of dangerous feats in her head as she stomped into the house," he muttered to me.

I sighed in exasperation and looked at him. _That's not fair to go poking around in your teenage daughter's head, and you know it, _I thought to him.

His golden eyes widened in rage for a moment before he composed himself in true Edward fashion.

"Jacob, please…support me on this. You…you've had your fun for tonight, are we agreed?" he asked.

I thought about how much fun his daughter had had on our 'sort of date' that night, but said nothing. My inner teenage boy fought with me to say something sarcastic and pointed at him, but my responsible Alpha side knew that he was right. Renesmee was strong willed enough, and I didn't need to feed the monster.

"You're right," I practically had to spit out. Edward gave me an appreciative look, and I knew that my admission hadn't gone ungratified.

_We had an innocent dinner, I swear…but please keep tonight in mind when it's time for things between us to change, Edward,_ I thought.

He winced, another frown crossing his face, and I continued. _I've been patient. I've been very, very patient Edward. I am not going to deny that things have changed between us. I can't deny that – you're in my head. But I have obeyed your wishes so far, and I hope that you would return the courtesy when the time comes, because it's coming._

He nodded, clearly pained, but he still nodded just the same. I shook my head and tried to get in one last request while I was still somewhat in his good graces.

_Can I go up there? _I thought, looking up towards her third floor bedroom at the Cullen house.

He thought a moment, looking at me skeptically. "One hour," he growled, turning on his heel. I grinned cockily to myself and followed him in the house. His fists curled into claws as he stomped off towards his piano, and Emmett just shrugged at me as we walked inside.

I took the stairs two or three at a time as I jogged up to Renesmee's room. I tapped on the door lightly before pushing it aside and stepping in.

She turned around from where she was standing in front of the windows, craning her neck to look wistfully at the small view of the bike as it sat in the driveway.

"Some other time," I mumbled, grateful when she finally turned around to walk over to me.

I was slightly surprised as she wrapped her pale arms around me, grasping me tightly with her vampire strength. I marveled at the feeling of her smooth skin against my own; hers was the only skin that felt hot against my own body heat. Sometimes it even _tingled_ where she touched me, and I looked forward to the day when that effect did not make me blush in shame.

I held her tight and stroked her hair, resting my chin on top of her penny-colored head.

_When will it all get better? I feel like a prisoner, _ she showed me, pressing her palm to my chest. She added a picture of her room, envisioned with iron bars on the window. I laughed softly at her over reaction, and she pulled away from me to frown. I softened my expression and couldn't help myself.

I pressed my mouth to her head where her hair met her forehead and kissed it there, trying in vain to make it as innocent as possible. I glanced at her clock by her bed and realized that I only had fifty two stinking minutes left with her.

I patted her back through her thin pajama tank top that she had changed into and she pulled away suddenly, her face still sad. She silently pulled me over to her bed, and I froze suddenly, knowing that this was strictly prohibited behavior in Edward's book.

Sure, we had curled up together when she was younger, but ever since her body had begun to change I had quickly put a stop to that act. My feelings for her hadn't even changed at that point, but I still felt that it was bordering on inappropriate.

"Just for a minute," she said pleadingly, grasping my hand in both of hers. I caved when I felt the familiar pull on my already worn out heart, and climbed into her large bed with her. I tried to keep an innocent enough distance between us as she climbed in beside me, but her needs were quickly put above my own as she pulled at me. She didn't stop pulling until I was on my side, pulled up tightly against her back.

_Oh god, she wants to spoon with me….I wonder if she knows she's going to be the death of me?_

I didn't have long to contemplate my upcoming death by a cranky daddy vampire; she flipped her hair out of the way, sending a wave of her delicious, inviting scent into my nostrils. I breathed in deeply, suddenly lost in her. She pulled and pulled until my arms were securely around her, my face resting halfway on the back of her neck. I laid there, listening to her breathing getting slower and slower until I knew she was asleep. I took great comfort in the fact that I could calm her frazzled nerves this way when she had just been so upset. I quickly lost myself in the sound of her even breaths, her familiar scent, and even the simple feeling of the soft skin against my own callused hands.

_I was powerless when it came to her. _

* * *

Would you agree? Did that need to be shown? I certainly thought so. Review if you would like! I would sure love to hear your thoughts.

I know this is lame of me, but I can't help myself. I live through Renesmee. **To see her 'date' outfit, go to my Twitter TwilightCakes **and check out her outfit that I described in more detail. I've posted it on my twitpic account.

/1go4yv

Thoughts?


	7. I'm so caught up in you

_No you don't know the one who dreams of you at night;  
And longs to kiss your lips  
And longs to hold you tight  
Oh I'm just a friend, That's all I've ever been  
Cause you don't know me.  
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by.  
A chance that you might love me too._

_You Don't Know Me – Ray Charles_

_~*~_

Chapter 5

The next night, Bella raised her eyebrow slightly as she watched her obviously frustrated husband try to concentrate on his reading. The two of them were sitting in their cozy living room, tangled together on one of the small, comfortable couches. To replace sleeping, they had adopted several calming, quiet night time activities to spend evenings as not to disturb their sleeping daughter in the next room.

As Edward had mentioned when Renesmee was born, it was highly ironic that she slept so well when she had two parents who needed no sleep at all. Their daughter had been a heavy sleeper most nights, but tonight that was not the case.

Edward soundlessly moved his eyes up, again looking in the direction of Renesmee's room.

"She having trouble sleeping?" Bella asked, not lifting her eyes off the pages of her book.

Edward sighed softly to himself, nodding. His eyes lifted in the direction of their daughter's bedroom again as if on cue as the two of them listened to her toss and turn.

"Quite a bit of trouble, actually."

"Is she falling asleep enough to dream a little?" Bella asked. She caught Edward's gaze and lowered her shield a little to speak to him via her mind.

_I know neither one of us want to, but we could go in there and see if she's dreaming….it might help us help her,_ Bella thought. Edward gave her a sideways smile; he always relished in the opportunity to hear his wife's mind.

"No…she's still awake, and thinking," he said quietly.

"I wonder what's wrong. She sounded perplexed about something the other day when we got back. Something bigger must be bothering her."

"Yes...tonight our baby doesn't seem to want to dream," he replied, closing his book and setting it softly beside him.

"She usually dreams so well," Bella said, putting hers down as well.

"Yes, well, tonight she is trying to decipher several different scenarios that occurred today on the beach with Jacob...Although I'm having trouble picking out what did happen and what she wanted to have happen."

Bella's face showed little surprise.

"Just try to block her out and let her sort it out on her own..." Bella had always felt sorry for their teenage daughter and the fact that her own father could hear her every thought, every secret, and every wish. Although she loved her husband dearly, there were several times in their relationship she had been glad that he could hear nothing of her personal thoughts.

"I just hate to see my little girl in there torturing herself about that mangy-"

"Just try not to listen. Concentrate on something else...let's go for a run," Bella cut him off. She was almost positive that Renesmee wasn't listening to them talk, but she didn't want to take that chance.

"Why are you so against me on this? I want to listen in so that I can help – I need to know what to say to make her feel better."

"Edward, imagine if Charlie had been able to hear _my_ every thought when you and I met and first started dating. How fair would that have been? He surely would have killed you!"

"This is much, much different Bella, those two are not dating. They clearly still do not have a brother/sister relationship, but they are not dating.."

"Sometimes I'm not convinced," she retorted. He looked up at her, his golden eyes full of shock. Her face softened as she gave him a pointed look, and he relaxed.

"Fair or not, this isn't a normal situation - I have no prior experience with were wolves and especially not ones that have imprinted on my only daughter!" he hissed.

"And Charlie's daughter dating a hundred year old vampire is normal?"

"Bella, this is different, I-"

"Edward," Bella replied, her voice soft but stern. "We agreed with him that we would let this happen naturally."

"It's too soon."

"Is it?"

"You don't hear their thoughts, love," he replied softly.

"What have you heard?"

"Their feelings for each other are definitely changing. I can see that much at least."

"Yes, but are you sure you aren't just over reacting? She's a teenager of sorts, and so is he. This could just be hormones."

"Bella, love, I have spent over a hundred years listening in on people's thoughts, and unfortunately seventy five percent of that was spent sitting in high schools across the country listening to the thoughts of teenagers. I know what I heard."

"But how can you be sure that his feelings are changing? He wouldn't do anything without telling us first."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure."

"What are you talking about?"

"Her feelings are changing for him, and vice versa. I've had enough proof of that to know better," Edward whispered, adding a few logs to the fire. Bella stared straight ahead over her into the bee-hive shaped wood-burner and pursed her lips as she thought. Their small, yet cozy cabin seemed to creak and groan in protest to both the late summer storm outside and the emotional storm that was brewing in Renesmee's mind.

"Earlier she was very concerned about his feelings for her. Something must have happened while we were gone," Bella added matter-of-factly.

She tried her best to understand that her husband was only listening in on her daughter to help her and know how to comfort her, but she couldn't help but place herself in Renesmee's shoes when it came to the use of Edward's gift. She would have been nothing short of horrified if Charlie was able to read her thoughts.

"Last night she was upset with me in the woods because she wanted me to leave so he could kiss her!"

Immediately, Bella tensed. Her perfect vampire recollection immediately made images of her rapidly growing baby girl flash in front of her eyes. She instantly felt the familiar prick and burning of what should have been tears. She felt herself remembering more and more memories from her little girl's life, and her emotions grew more and more somber as the thought. Suddenly, it felt like a giant weight was crushing her chest as she pictured holding her little girl in her arms what felt like yesterday.

Choking back the tears she knew wouldn't ever come, she wiped her eyes out of habit and looked down at her lap. Images of holding her new little baby and fighting for their lives just a few short years ago came rushing back to her, and Edward tensed as he began to sense his wife's growing emotions about their daughter.

"It is too soon, isn't it?" she wailed softly.

Edward looked at her, his golden eyes pained slightly. He knew that bringing up his daughter's rapidly aging body would make his wife upset, but he had no idea she would react this way.

"I...I just want my little girl back. Is that cruel to wish?"

Edward shook his head. "We only had a fraction of the time with her as a child that most parents have...and no, love, it's not fair. But what can we do?"

"I…I don't know…I was dealing with this so well Edward but now I don't know. I just can't believe that it's already time for her to...to…be a woman."

"It's not quite that time yet. We still have a little bit longer to go..."

"But it all goes so fast!" she whispered, her pained voice causing her husband to give her a sympathetic look. He crossed the room in a flash and embraced her tightly, burying his nose in her soft brown hair. It pained him to think that their moments of happiness seemed all too brief before another trauma presented itself. He pulled back to look into her eyes and began to stroke her face softly with his thumbs.

"We're going to have to let her go sooner rather than later, love."

She nodded, her eyes crying invisible tears. She glanced towards her daughter's bedroom, feeling waves of sadness and nostalgia wash over her. He guided her back to the couch where they had been sitting, and pulled her down into his lap.

Bella and Edward sat on their cottage couch, staring blankly into each other's golden eyes - the only sound in the house was that of their nearly seven year old daughter, tossing and turning listlessly in her soft bed.

Neither knew what to say.

* * *

Down the hall, Renesmee was unaware that her perplexed parents were listening to her as she lay in her bed. She was in that strange state between a deep sleep and being awake, and it was making her crazy. Her body was so physically tired and her mind was so wired that the two of them were dancing around each other in circles, taunting her.

The day at the beach with Jacob had done even more to confuse her. On one hand, he had spoken to her that afternoon like his leaving was a small, inconvenient part of his life. It was like he might as well go to college - nothing else better to do. Out of boredom.

But then why when he touched her and held her in his warm arms did she feel something different? She had shown him herself with her gift how much she would miss him when he left in a few days. How much she wanted him to stay with her, although she was happy he was going to college. She had shown him how proud she was, and envious too. She didn't know what she would do without her gift - sometimes it was hard for her to use words to show Jacob how much he mean to her...and how much _more_ he was starting to mean to her.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy for him to get to go to college - she was thrilled. She was raised to believe that education was one of the greatest gifts in life, and that in order to better ones self, he needed to learn about the world of the past, present, and future. If she was being honest with herself, she was even a little jealous that he was getting to go to college.

Quickly pushing the thought of jealousy out of her mind, she tried to calm herself by thinking of Jacob first, and herself second. His happiness was all she cared about; as long as her Jacob did what he needed to do, everything would be fine, or at least she hoped. Her jealousy would have to be pacified for at least four more years. She was happy that he got to experience this part of life- she just wished they could have experienced it together.

The decision to not send Renesmee to any type of typical school had not been an easy one. Edward had argued tooth and nail that he could give his daughter the proper education at home and that there was no need to subject her to the prying eyes of the public. It would have been impossible. She would have had to change schools almost every year.

Bella had been slightly more understanding. She had never kept it a secret from her daughter how hard and cruel of an experience high school could be, but she understood how much her extremely sheltered daughter wanted to have worldly experiences. She had made a deal with her daughter that once she stopped aging they would happily send her to a public school, whatever kind of school she wanted it to be.

But the fact that Jacob was leaving to go to school upset her deeply. She knew that it was time for him to explore the world and have an experience outside of Forks and La Push. Outside of vampires and werewolves. Outside of his Alpha duties. But try as she might, she just couldn't make herself think of it that way. Her sensibility had abandoned her when she needed it the most.

He was leaving her.

And no matter how much she had tried to communicate her unhappiness about his leaving to him, she knew that he still needed to go.

* * *

Jacob lay in his bed early the next morning, his dreams threatening to leave alone in his bed and spare him of the joy that were his fantasies.

_He used his flaming hot hands to push her cool, scintillating body up against the nearest thick trunk of a tree. The wood groaned in protest as their strong bodies pushed against its bark, but it stayed put. _

"_Mmmm, Jake…" she growled under her breath as he made a hot trail of light kisses across her collar bone._

"_Yes?" He pleasantly growled back, moving up her neck. He bit down lightly a few times, causing her to claw at the sinewy muscles on his back. _

_She let out a pleased yelp as his glittering white teeth met her almost stony flesh. _

"_Mmm, you should know better than to bite a vampire…" she said with a laugh before his lips met hers. She moved her mouth in sync with his, almost greedily kissing him as moved against her body._

_They were flush against the bark of the tree, and it continued to groan as he pushed her against it sensually. Her ragged pants were the only sound in the quiet forest besides the tree moving and creaking behind her. _

"_Oh Jake…" she murmured, lowering her mouth to his ear. She sucked on his earlobe seductively as he ground his hips against her. Running her hands down his chiseled, hot stomach, he growled again in delight as her fingernails lightly scraped down his abdomen to rest on the top of his torn shorts. _

_He moved against her again, causing her to mewl out in delight at the feeling of his rock hard erection against her steadily dampening core. The smell of her arousal permeated the air around them, driving them both insane with wanton lust. _

"_I need you, Ness, so bad," he panted as she continued to kiss him with force. _

"_Then take me," she panted, pulling away to look at him. He needed no more reassurance. No longer caring if anyone would find them, he grabbed her legs and hoisted her up against the tree, fastening her legs around his back. He roughly moved against her, causing her to bite her lower lip in pleasure. _

"_Oh, god….Now, Jake, now! I can't wait any longer!"_

Bright light flooded through his eyelids as he cracked them open. He _would_ wake up right now, he growled to himself. Looking down, he winced and cussed under his breath at the tent that was protruding from his boxers.

"Great way to start the day – with a raging case of blue balls," he muttered, tossing the tangled sheets away from his sweaty body.

"Is this a bad time?" a timid voice squeaked from the corner of his room.

Jacob jumped up, promptly smacking his head on the beam above his bed. He was so tall that he had to crouch a bit, even in his own bedroom. He looked incredulously over to the corner of his room, where Alice sat perched on his dresser.

"Alice! God damn it, what the fuck?!" he yowled, rubbing his sore head.

"What? I've been here for almost two hours and you're just now noticing? Some scary were wolf you are…" she muttered.

"Yeah, I'm so used to your vampy stench I've gotten soft," he quipped, still rubbing his head with a dejected look.

"Oh Jacob, stop whining," she replied, pretending to examine her nails. "What's the big deal? And besides, if anyone in this room stinks, it certainly isn't me! I'm wearing Chanel No. 5!"

"That's lovely," he grunted, glaring at her. In all actuality, he didn't mind Alice nearly as much as he minded a few of the others, like Rosalie and Jasper. Jasper had always managed to scare the living daylights out of him with his scars and strange gift. Emmett's size alone was enough to make any creature think twice about crossing him, vampire or were wolf alike. Carlisle and Esme were the two he felt the most comfortable around, as they were both always so calm, reserved, and human like. Sometimes even Bella could shake his nerves a bit.

"Grouchy, are we?" she asked from his dresser.

"I was sleeping Alice, and I need my sleep!" he said, suddenly remembering his morning reminder of his Renesmee dream. Looking around, he grabbed one of his pillow and held it in front of his fading erection.

"Jacob, I'm almost a hundred years old, if you showed me something I've never seen before I'd throw a quarter at it," she said, not missing a beat.

He rolled his eyes at her and huffed. "Why are you here, anyway?"

She paused, looking at him pointedly. "Lusty thoughts a brewin' here, eh?"

His cheeks flooded with blood as his hot skin blushed in embarrassment at her comments, and a low growl escaped his lips.

"And to think I used to stick up for you when people called you annoying!"

She crinkled her nose and hopped down, walking closer to him. She glanced down at the floor of his room expectantly.

He followed her gaze, and saw that his normally appallingly messy floor was now clean of all clothes and debris.

"You cleaned my room?" he asked, looking around in amazement. His previously dirty clothes were folded neatly according to size in a laundry basket in the corner, and his dressers and knick knacks had obviously been dusted. Literally every spec of dirt on his room was gone.

"I've been here for two hours, like I said. What else was I supposed to do while you snored the morning away?"

Jacob looked at his alarm clock and winced when he saw the time.

"Alice, you annoying little twit! It's eight in the morning! I should be sleeping!"

"Hey now, we have work to do mister. I expect complete and utter cooperation from you today, is that clear? This is for Renesmee. And don't even try to tell me that you don't care about her now, right?"

Jacob shut his mouth and heaved a sigh, throwing his pillow down. "Okay, what do you want?"

"Thank you, now was that so hard?" She asked, putting her small hands on her tiny hips. He gave her a sideways glare as he sat down on the edge of his sagging twin bed.

"Get on with it," he growled.

She flitted to his closet and flung open the door. She had stocked it a few years ago with clothes, but half of them were either destroyed or unworn due to their designer status. Jacob had no patience for expensive clothes and fancy labels, and had simply tossed them aside. Anything he deemed appropriate was either ripped, stained, or destroyed accidently.

"How are you supposed to find something to wear to the bonfire tonight when you leave me _this _to work with?!" she shrieked, motioning at the clothes so fast her hands became a distressed blur. Her golden eyes looked at him with question, her tiny pink lips open in an 'O'.

"Wait, how did you…never mind."

"Trust me on this one, Jake. We need to go shopping."

"You're kidding, right?" I've got a full day of packing and errands to do before I leave! I do not have time for you to drag me off to some crappy stores for the day. And don't even try to tell me that it won't take all day, because I've heard tales about your shopping excursions before."

"Too bad. Besides, you're already packed!" she gleefully motioned to his suitcases in another corner, neatly stacked up. Jacob just closed his eyes and shook his head.

Before he knew it, she was dragging him from his bedroom with her stony fingers wrapped around his large hand. She gave a small wave to Billy, who sat at the table, drinking coffee and eating a strangely elaborate breakfast of eggs, waffles, and bacon. He gave his son a slightly apologetic look as Alice tossed him one of his shoes from the front mat by the door.

"You let her in? Really Billy? You let a vampire in our house to harass me?"

Billy shrugged and motioned to his breakfast. "She cooked and did three loads of laundry…I was in no position to argue," he said with another shrug.

Jacob gave him an astounded look and winced as one of his shoes sailed through the air and hit him square in the chest.

"Ow!" he shouted, grabbing it and putting it on.

"We're on a schedule, dog!" she trilled from the front door, which she was already holding open.

"You'd better get a move on, son," Billy said quietly, his black eyes glittering with mischief. Jacob shook his head one more time at his father.

"Really dad? Really?" he asked before walking out the door.

A few minutes later, the two of them were flying down the interstate at well over a hundred miles an hour in Alice's Porsche, which he was sure would look like a blur if caught on a speed detecting camera.

Jacob was used to vampire driving, but this was ridiculous, he noted to himself. He watched her speedometer continue to climb up into triple digits. He gripped the handle on the door and resisted the urge to brace himself if they were to crash.

"Alice, have you ever killed anyone?" he asked, looking at her sideways.

"Why do you ask?"

"Cuz I feel like I'm going to die if you keep driving like this. Have you every killed anyone or not?"

"Certainly not from my driving," she huffed, adjusting her rearview mirror as they flew down the winding road.

"Then from what?"

"Jacob, has it escaped you completely that I am in fact, a vampire?"

"Well, no."

"That pretty much answers your question then," she replied shortly.

Jacob turned his head to look at her curiously. "So you've really…killed…people before?"

Alice frowned, adjusting her sunglasses on her stony face. "It was an accident! I was a newborn, what do you think happened? I didn't know where or what I was, and I had no idea that people.._smelled so good._ I didn't mean to. I wandered up to a house to get some help and I accidently…" she trailed off, her voice softening.

"You didn't know what you were?"

It was Alice's turn to look at him sideways. "No…Nessie never told you my story?"

He shook his head. "She said with…vampires…it's not polite to tell others their stories of how they changed…she said sometimes it's kinda…traumatic."

Alice smiled wistfully. "That does sound like something Nessie would say," she said.

"I was just teasing earlier Alice, I don't' really need to know, I'm sorry," he muttered, looking out the window. He now felt bad for poking fun at her death total.

"No, it's okay. Long story short, whoever turned my from the asylum I was in left me in a ditch on the side of the road. I guess he was being chased…I'll never know. I woke up one day and…just was, you know? I still had a plastic medic bracelet on that said 'Mary Alice', although later I dropped the 'Mary'. I knew I was different, but I didn't' know what I was. You don't know when you're born what the burning in your throat is," she explained.

She continued as they flew down the wet, dewy roads towards the city. "I discovered my speed and ran all the way to Louisiana before I finally stopped. I stumbled…well…danced up to farmhouse to try to get something to eat, and I…."

She stopped, her mouth holding open slightly, unsure of what to say next.

"You don't have to say it," he said.

She smiled painfully at him, and continued again. "I was still so thirsty after that, and I went out back when I smelled something else…something bigger."

Jacob tried not to let her see him wince.

"He was a dairy farmer."

Jacob whipped his head over to look at her. "Cows? Really Alice? Cows?!"

She pursed her lips and frowned. "You eat cattle, don't you?"

"Still…"

"Look, I didn't know when I woke up I was a vampire, Jacob! It's not like someone handed me a bouquet of congratulatory roses and my _'How to be a Vampire'_ manual! I had to figure it all out by myself! I woke up in a muddy ditch for heaven sake!" her high soprano voice rang in the tiny sports car, and he grimaced at the sound.

"Well, that's what happened, I'm sorry if it disgusts you," she trilled, adjusting her sunglasses.

Jacob winced again as she stomped her tiny foot down even further on the gas pedal. His eyes moved from her stony profile to the speedometer.

"And I thought Edward's driving made me nervous," he said, watching the scenery positively _fly_ by. She seemed to relax a little, and she slowly turned to smile gleefully at him.

"You haven't seen anything yet! Let me show you what my baby can do!" she giggled, her tinkling laugh resonating in the car as she patted the dashboard. He felt his body get sucked into the passenger seat as she switched into a higher gear.

* * *

And so it had arrived. Jacob's last night in La Push.

To celebrate and give him a proper goodbye, all of the members of his wolf-pack were giving him a traditional Quileute bonfire, complete with tales from the elders and to the delight of every pack member; a huge meal.

"Really Alice?" Renesmee replied, looking at the designer scarf her aunt was trying to get her to wear.

"Come on, Ness...I bought like five million of these the last time Rosalie and I were in Paris, and I _really_ want someone to get some use out of them!"

Alice was helping her get ready in her room up at the Cullen's main house, wanting to ensure that her outfit was the 'cutest' one there.

"But it's to a bonfire with were wolves present. I don't think they care if this is the best silk Paris has to offer," she replied, tossing it off with a flourish.

Alice cleared her throat and caught it before it hit the carpet, her fingers admiring the texture of the fabric. "You know who you sound like?" she asked.

"Dare I ask," Renesmee replied, sifting through her closet.

"Perhaps a certain mother of yours used to refuse my clothing and fashion expertise…" Alice teased her, her golden eyes gleaming.

"She did?"

"What do you mean 'did'?! She still does!" Alice huffed, shifting through the tops on hangers. The hangers clicked together as she pushed tops to the side, examining each one at lightning speed.

"My mom dresses…okay," Renesmee said, looking at herself in the full length mirror.

"Ness, the girl should buy stock in Levis and stretch cotton," Alice said, materializing behind her niece. She winked at her with a sideways smile and flashed back to the rack of clothing.

"Okay, okay...I'll wear it..." She huffed, tying the long, multicolored scarf around her neck and knotting it.

Turning to admire her reflection in the mirror once again, she had to admit it wasn't bad. She was wearing dark jeans, a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt, a crème colored down vest, and Alice had topped it off with the beautiful, colorful scarf. She looked perfect for a bonfire in the chilly, early September night.

"You're right, it does look pretty good," she said.

Alice giggled, watching as her niece admired herself. "Okay there, _Rosalie_," Alice teased.

"I'm just…making sure I look nice," Renesmee defended herself. Glancing back into the mirror, she applied a little bit of lip gloss and pressed her lips together, evening it out. She had never really worn makeup; she never really needed to. Her vampire side made her more appealing aesthetic features stand out; she had big, chocolate brown eyes that were framed with long, dark lashes. Her cheeks flushed with just the right amount of pink, and they matched her pretty plump lips. All of these features were set off with her luminescent, ivory skin.

"No one in this town even _begins_ to appreciate the fashion sense that I demonstrate...no one at all..." Alice trailed off; flitting from side to side in Renesmee's large closet, moving so fast she almost became an ivory-colored blur.

"No offense to the La Push girls, Alice, but haute couture fashion isn't exactly a concern of theirs," she had laughed.

She wasn't meaning to sound cruel or haughty; the girls that the wolf-pack boys had imprinted on were all beautiful in their own special ways. They didn't need to wear flashing clothing or lots of makeup to accentuate their looks – their raven hair and beautiful, tan russet skin set them apart from most girls.

Like Emily. Most people would look at her scarred, marked face and see nothing but the long scratches left by her imprint and husband, Sam. However, that's not what Renesmee saw when she looked at her. She saw her beautiful skin and long layers of flowing, black hair that just encased a beautiful soul. A soul that loved her husband, family, and her adopted wolf-family without resentment or reason.

Her head whipped up and out of her reverie when she heard a familiar heartbeat and breathing pattern in the woods.

_Jacob...in...human form?_ She thought to herself. It was very strange of him to show up in human form

"Hmmmm....interesting," Alice murmured, her eyes glazing over as she looked towards the windows that lined the back wall of Renesmee's bedroom. Renesmee knew her aunt was having a vision of something to come by the blank stare reflecting in the panes of glass.

"What? What did you see?" she asked. Alice blinked a few times, her golden eyes glittering. She crinkled her pixie-like nose for a second before turning to look at her niece.

"Nothing," Alice said with a grin. She bounded to the window, looked out, trilled a high pitched laugh, and bounded back to her niece in another leap. Kissing her on the cheek with a wink, she was gone.

"Eh...vampires..." she mumbled, throwing up her hands. For being half-vampire, sometimes she didn't understand them completely. Sniffing the air in her bedroom, a small smile crept up on her lips. She would know that woodsy yet pleasant, cinnamon spiked with pine smell anywhere. _Jacob…. _

She walked over to the doors that lead to the balcony that ran the entire back length of the house and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him through the glass. There he stood, down on the ground, waiting for her. The lights from the back of the house shone on his round, russet face.

_Now I know why he ran._.. she thought. Jacob had actually taken some time with his appearance tonight - she had known him long enough to recognize that. His usual ripped, stained, cut-offs had been replaced with a decent pair of dark jeans that actually fit him well - lose enough to still be masculine but tight enough to show off his long, firmly sculpted legs. His black t-shirt was covered with a red and black-patterned flannel button-up shirt that clung to his well-muscled chest in all the right places. He had topped the outfit off with a pair of chunky black boots instead of his usually bare feet.

_He looks so good, even in clothes….._she thought. _He really is perfect._

Jacob stomped at the ground a bit as he stood, impatiently waiting for her to come down and join him. Her heart skipped one of it's impossibly fast beats and she felt her teeth come down and bite the corner of her lip.

"Thank you, Alice," she whispered before opening the door.

From somewhere in the house, Alice called out a simple "You're welcome!"

She knew that Alice was constantly itching to buy everyone she came in contact with new, fashionable clothes. It was like a sport or a hobby to Alice. Most of their family members took it in stride after decades to get used to it, but Jacob has always shrugged off her purchases for him as ridiculous and un-needed.

His tiny closet at Billy's house had been stuffed to the brink with a few unworn suits, button up shirts, and Italian leather shoes. The only thing he did do was tear the sleeves off the expensive t-shirts and make the designer jeans into ratty looking cut-offs. Had Alice had a heartbeat, she surely would have gone into cardiac arrest.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her silver cell phone and shoved it securely in her pocket. There wasn't exactly a need for a purse when you were going to be hanging out with were wolves at a tribal bonfire.

Her not-so-innocent dreams she had had about him were on the front of her mind as she took once last glance around her room to make sure she was ready, and she felt blood pool in her cheeks.

_Calm down!_ She said to herself. This evening was going to be awkward enough as it was his last night in La Push, and she didn't want to make it even more awkward by acting like a silly, boy-crazy goon. She pushed the glass door open to her balcony after trying her best to slow her thrumming heart a little. She didn't want to appear _too_ excited to see him.

She walked out onto the balcony and peeked over the railing at Jacob, who stood waiting in the darkness.

"So I take it you won't be phasing anytime tonight and ruin your fancy new clothes?" she asked, taking note of his new attire.

"Nah, I figured I should look nice since this is the last time you'll see me for awhile. Gotta leave you with a good impression," he called up to her with a smirk. He hooked his thumbs in the belt-loops on his pants and grinned up at her.

Renesmee felt her heart speed up and take off. Only _he_ had the ability to make her heart do crazy things.

"You could have at least picked me up in your truck," Renesmee teased, leaning off the balcony to yell at him.

"Yeah...but I had other plans, thanks to your mother," he replied, holding up a keychain. The Ferrari emblem caught the light and shone in the dim lights of the house. She laughed and gave him a knowing look. Jacob always jumped at any chance to drive the Cullen's' fancy cars.

"Be right down!" she called. A few seconds later, she was launching herself over the railing of the balcony, landing gracefully on her feet.

Jacob frowned at her slightly. "Alice dress you?"

Renesmee returned his look as her hopes fell. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I...just...she always dresses you...differently," he stuttered, looking surprised. His tan forehead creased as he raised his eyebrows, unsure of what to say to her. He was honestly surprised to see her not dressed in a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans, not that he was opposed to her long sleeved, v neck shirt.

_Real smooth, Jake,_ he thought to himself. Glancing at her outfit again, he averted his eyes from her chest again and looked at the ground. _Great, another night where I have to pretend not to notice she has boobs…_

"Whatever...let's just go," she replied, walking around to the garage where her mother's Ferrari was kept.

He strode into the garage behind her, and she paused at the passenger side, waiting to see what he would do. Noticing her pause, he jerked to a stop in the garage, his boots squeaking on the smooth floor. He looked at her incredulously as she waited there.

"Aren't you even going to open my door?" she huffed, still irritated with him for poking fun of her outfit.

"Yeah, yeah..sorry," he said, pulling the red door open. He laughed as she climbed in, settling herself in the leather seat.

"What do you think this is, a date?" he laughed. She looked up at him from the car seat, her lips falling open into an 'O'.

"No, I…" she stuttered.

The awkward silence that followed seemed to hang in the air like a dense fog. He laughed outwardly but winced on the inside. He had screwed that one up _big time. _

_Shit,_ he thought. _Way to go, Jake._

He looked away quickly and slammed the door shut before running around to the other side of the car.

Once he closed the door and settled himself into the fine leather seats of the Ferrari, she took a deep breath and tried once again to calm herself.

Meanwhile, Jacob was busy fretting to himself as he pulled out of the driveway in the exotic car. He looked both ways before peeling out onto the highway, and he finally felt himself relax a bit as Renesmee's inviting scent filled the car.

He breathed in the soft tones of …_What does she smell like? Hmm…Clean cotton. The water lilies that only bloom at night in the tide pools on First Beach. And the wild raspberries that grow in that briar patch behind the garage. And that stuff mom used to use to bake..oh yeah, brown sugar. God she smells good…like heaven. Does she smell like that to everyone else? Or just to me? _He thought to himself.

_Do I smell good to her? I hope so….I remember Sam thinking about how good Emily smelled to him. Am I crazy?_ His thoughts seemed to echo inside his head as they drove the winding road along the shoreline to La Push.

The silent ride was starting to eat at Renesmee. She couldn't think of anything to say even though her mind was screaming a million things at her. She kept looking over at him, trying to read his face, all while resisting the urge to place her palm on his arm and show him how awkward she felt. Would telling him she felt awkward just make things more awkward.

"Something wrong?" he asked, sensing the mood change in her.

"No...Just thinking," she replied as the scenery flashed by. Jacob shrugged and pressed down on the gas pedal, flying through the dark back roads to his hometown.

She looked over at him and smiled, knowing that he appreciated the car like her mother never had. Bella had never really gotten used to the Cullen's fancy lifestyle - and although Renesmee usually didn't mind it, she was afraid that it intimidated some people at times. Just because she enjoyed luxurious things didn't mean she liked flashing it around, especially in a small town.

_If I go to college and do well, someday I'll be the one buying cars like this for her...not daddy and auntie Cullen..._ he thought to himself as he pulled up to the cliffs where the rest of his pack had gathered.

They were silent as they approached the group of his brothers and their significant others. Renesmee sucked in a nervous breath. They heard hoots and cat calls of appreciation as the flashy, shiny red car pulled up into the driveway. She ducked her head and slinked away from the car as quickly as possible, not wanting to draw any more attention to their arrival; she was already the subject of too many stares, being the only ivory-skinned girl in attendance.

The La Push girls were all nice and lovely in their own way, but they tended to make her feel a little out of place. They were all very polite and welcoming, doing their best to accept her despite the fact that she wasn't exactly a typical friend of the wolf pack. Most of the girls who had been around awhile knew what she and her family were, but there were still a few newer girlfriends who had no idea.

Instead of the warm, tan skin of the Makah and La Push women, Renesmee's ivory skin _glowed_. Their long, jet black straight hair made her bronze curls stand out like a giraffe in a heard of zebras. That's what she felt like. The strange looking, awkward one.

_Will I always stand out?_ she wondered as Jacob approached her.

As if he could read her thoughts, he grabbed her hand and she held back a gasp as his blazing hot hand made contact with her own. It was strange, but she found his hot grip very comforting - she had known it since she was a baby. Immediately she calmed down and felt herself start to relax.

"Hey guys," Jacob greeted, smacking several of them on the back. She looked around; noticing that everyone she knew was in attendance, plus a few. Quil was there with his imprint Claire, Sam and Emily, Paul and Rebecca, Jared and Kim, Leah and her boyfriend Ben, Embry and his new girlfriend Jackie, and Seth and the girl he had imprinted on just days before, Elizabeth. Collin, who had imprinted on a little girl from Makah, stood by himself. Renesmee winced, remembering that Jake told her it did not go over well with her parents. She was silently grateful she didn't have to deal with any of that drama.

"Hey Nessie!" Quil said, walking over to them. He carried a bundled up Claire on his shoulders, who was choking him with her scarf.

"Hey Quil," she laughed. Claire giggled and squealed with delight as Quil made a playful gagging noise that further egged on her fit of laugher.

"Finally!" Paul called out, seeing the younger members of the pack finally arrive; Collin, Brady, and some of the other boys arrived in a beat up jeep.

"Hard to believe there's eighteen of us now, isn't there?" Jacob mused, watching as the tall, muscled boys walked up to join the fire.

He was right to be amused at their numbers - the Cullens and their frequent but peaceful visitors still triggered the phasing gene in the boys of La-Push. Sam had retired to age with Emily a few years ago, leaving Jacob in charge of the largest pack the Quilutes had ever known of.

"You want something to eat?" Jacob asked, walking over to where the food was. A fire blazed in the middle of the area, giving all of the already tan boys an even lovelier glow. Renesmee gazed at their tan, smooth skin and envied the color of it.

"Ummm..." She examined the food that was on the table, sniffing carefully. "I'll take a hamburger I guess."

"Medium rare, no bun?" he asked, holding up a plate. She nodded, glancing up at him shyly. Looking over, she noticed that a few of the newer girls that she didn't recognize were looking at her curiously. When she met their gaze, they quickly looked away.

"They just don't want to seem rude, Ness," Jacob said, startling her slightly. He was leaning down, his dark brown eyes sympathetic to her. "They're just curious," he added.

"I know...I know I must look like a freak to them," she mumbled, fiddling with the cap on her bottled water.

"The guys can only tell girls they've imprinted on what you are...those girls are just dates, so they can't be let in on any secrets," he said.

She let her mind whirl with the thoughts of what the other boys had told their imprints about her. _Vampire freak that Jacob imprinted on….half leech, stuck up priss…_

She bit her lip and tried to suppress all the thoughts that came to the front of her mind. She took a deep breath and looked up into Jacob's warm, dark brown eyes. He half smiled at her, one side of his face curling up into a smile before the other half slowly joined. With a grin and a subdued wink, instantly, she felt more calm.

She reached up with her hand and showed Jacob for the thousandth time just how well he could calm her down with something as simple as a wink and a smile.

"Really?" he asked, the smile growing larger.

She nodded, looking up at him. _Thank you…for doing what you do,_ she showed him.

He wrapped her in a tight hug and breathed in her pleasing aroma for the second time that night. He let it overtake him and all too soon she pulled away, her eyes falling on the people around them. Jacob looked around at his brothers, slightly confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hurt that she had pulled away.

"I don't know…" she trailed off, glancing at his pack and the growing group of people. The _last _thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself, especially now.

"No one is paying any attention to you. Well…cept for me," he added, playfully nudging her.

"I know…you do tend to give me attention when I most need it," she teased back.

_You have no idea…You've had my attention since day one, kid,_ he thought to himself.

"What's really wrong? You've been on edge since we got in the car to come here," he said. She didn't seem like her normal, exuberant self lately. If anything, she seemed quieter…more subdued. And anyone who knew Renesmee would not usually describe her as 'subdued'.

"I know...its just hard sticking out so bad all the time...it's just get old. I must look like such a freak to them," she said, turning away from the group. She watched as the moonlight faintly peeked out from behind a mask of clouds above them, casting a silver glow on the salty ocean.

"Ness…"

"No, it is, Jake, don't try and tell me I fit in. I don't. I'm a freak," she said, tucking a long curl behind her ear.

She watched as Seth and Colin stood in front of their audience of teenage girls, yelling a funny story with much animation.

"Hey," he said, putting his plate of food down. He grabbed her by both shoulders and bent down so that he was eye-level with her. "You are _not_ a freak. Do you think I would tote a freak around as a best friend?"

"Best friend?" The words rang in her ears.

"Yeah, of course. You've always been my best friend Nessie," he replied, playfully shoving his arm around her neck and messing her hair.

_Great, he treats me like I'm five_.... she thought.

"Jake..."

"Sorry, sorry," he replied, throwing her burger on the small grill they had hauled out for burgers and hot dogs. She looked over just in time to see Embry gently grab his girlfriend Jackie and kiss her sweetly on the lips. Her tan skin flushed as she looked around to see who was watching, and then she giggled and kissed him again quickly.

"What?" Jacob asked, following her gaze.

"Nothing, just...I never realized how pretty Jackie is, that's all," she said with a flush of her cheeks. She was instantly embarrassed that she had been caught watching the two of them.

"Yeah, she's alright," he replied. In all honesty, he was pretty sure that Jackie _was_ probably quite good-looking. However, because she was not his imprint, he couldn't really see her all that well. He could see her face and main features if he focused on her really well, maybe even better if he looked at her through Embry's thoughts when they were in wolf-form, but it had never really occurred to him to do so. Other girls just didn't hold his interest long.

With a sigh, he threw another few hot dogs on the grill for himself in addition to the others that were already cooking. He was a nervous eater. He was not looking forward to later tonight when he would have to bid his imprint farewell and go off to college. Leaving her for more than a short amount of time did not sound like an appealing thing to do.

He followed her gaze and saw Renesmee looking around the fire at all of his brothers and their dates and imprints. He felt awful that she felt so bad about sticking out. He wished that he could show her what she looked like to him. He didn't want to be mean, but even if he could see the other girls that were there he was sure that they didn't look half as breath-taking as her.

"So, you nervous man? About tomorrow?" Jared asked, walking up to where Jake and Renesmee stood by the grill.

"Nah, it'll be good to get out of the old La Push for awhile," Jacob replied, flipping his food.

"We'll uh...miss you Jake," he replied, smacking his Alpha on the back playfully. Renesmee smiled at Jared. Even though he was a tough wolf, a fight instigator and sarcastic know-it-all sometimes, he was an all around good guy. He was one of the main people who had helped Jacob when he first phased.

"Thanks Jared," he replied, flashing his white teeth at his pack mate.

"Yeah, sure thing. We'll look after the place for ya," he said before turning to the fire.

She watched as he sat on a nearby log in front of the fire, pulling his wife Kim up close between his knees. She rested her head on his arms that were securely wrapped around her in the chilly night air. When Jake handed her barely cooked hamburger, she picked at it absently, watching the rest of the wolves interact with their imprints. She just didn't understand the whole imprinting thing. Try as she might, she couldn't imagine feeling anything stronger about anyone than she did about Jacob.

"Shuuu fuulll?" He asked, turning to her with a mouthful of food.

"Ulgh, Jake!" She exclaimed, grimacing as bits of food tumbled from his mouth. "Get away from me; you're getting food all over!"

He took this as a challenge and grabbed her around her waist, swallowing his mouthful of food in one gulp, and then showing her his tongue.

"Jake, I swear!" she gasped, lunging away from him. He grabbed her again and jokingly gave her a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek. Everyone around the bonfire stopped what they were doing to look at the two of them who were now engaged in a rough game of get-away.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground with a playful growl.

"ARRRRRGH!!!!" he exclaimed, lifting her up again.

"Jake!" she shouted, now aware that their game was drawing attention. The stern tone she used to yell his name made him instantly put her back on the ground and stop. She grabbed his hands that were around her waist and shoved them off of her violently, clearly embarrassed.

"Jake," she hissed again, stepping behind him and away from all the pairs of brown, staring eyes.

"What?" he asked, turning towards her. He looked around at his pack members and their dates, and everyone went back to what they were doing.

"Never mind, just...do you have to act like that all the time?"

Jacob was confused. Normally this was what they did. They always teased each other, wrestled, and goofed off. That was just how they were.

Renesmee was glad when Billy finally calmed everyone down to tell the tribal stories as they always did at these bonfires. Jacob had eaten his weight in hamburgers, chips, and hot dogs, and appeared to be fully sated for the moment. The pack members all quieted and sat on or around the logs that were placed around the roaring fire.

Jacob and Renesmee chose to sit on the ground together, although her cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment at Jacob's gross game a few minutes earlier. He looked over at her questioningly, wondering if she was still upset.

_Normally she doesn't care if I do stupid stuff,_ he thought. Testing the mood around her, he leaned against the large log that was behind him, placing his arm around the back. She could feel the warmth that it was radiating, and sat beside him but straight and stiff as a board.

The stories began, and she watched wistfully as the other pack members and their imprints and girlfriends snuggled up to each other, each female obviously enjoying the warmth that their bodies created in contrast with the chilly ocean air.

As Billy talked, Jacob became more worried. He knew that Renesmee would barely feel the chill that was in the air, but he was at least hoping that she would lean on him or _something_ while they sat and listened.

Looking around at his pack brothers, he noticed how comfortable they looked with something female leaning on them, curled into their sides. It looked so natural for everyone else - _why was it so hard for them?_

Quil caught his eye over the fire and smiled at him weakly as if to say, _'I'm sorry, brother,'_ and Jacob mirrored his expression back at him. He did smile to himself when he saw little Claire collapse in his lap and fall right to sleep. Quil rubbed her back through her coat, shifting so that she would be more comfortable.

Jacob smiled to himself. He remembered when Nessie was that small and he could easily pick her up and hold her in his arms when she fell asleep. She still wasn't particularly big, but they hadn't done anything like that in a few years now.

_I wish this was easier...we have so little time left, _he thought.

He sat and waited to almost no avail. Almost an hour after the stories began, he could tell by the color of the sky that it was really starting to get late. He watched as Renesmee stifled a yawn and stiffened a bit as he watched her obvious signs of fatigue. After feeling like a lifetime had passed, she finally leaned back onto his arm, and a few minutes later her head followed on his shoulder. She had finally given in.

His arm blazed with imaginary electricity as her body made contact with his arm. He closed his eyes momentarily savoring the feeling of her weight on his arm, his hot flesh tingling with delight. Even the feel of her body with clothes between them caused him to react with fervor.

As the talking of his tribe's history continued, he sat and relished the feeling of his imprint's warm but deliciously sweet breath dance on his collar bone, just above where his shirt collar was. Her breathing had evened – he knew she had given in to sleep, at least temporarily.

A few minutes later he could tell she had woken back up as her heart rate and breathing both sped up. He feared she would sit up and move away from him, but instead she scooted even closer and wound one of her legs with his to warm herself. The fire of want in him burned even hotter as he concentrated on the feeling of her breath on him.

Another hour later, the stories were finished, and Billy collected his coat and gloves to leave the younger boys to their fire. The younger wolf pack members stood and began chattering and re-telling their favorite parts of the stories eagerly - they hadn't heard them nearly as many times as some of the older members.

"You asleep?" he asked softly, unsure if she had drifted back into slumber. He would have stayed on the beach cliff and held her against him all night if she would have asked him to, but to no avail.

"No, I'm awake. Just thinking," she replied, her warm brown eyes staring into the fire. She turned to look up at him, smiling softly. She felt silly making such a big deal about what had happened earlier - she didn't want to argue with him when he was leaving her tomorrow. Pressing her palm to his cheek, she showed him that she was sorry and that she didn't want to fight with him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, wishing he could show her the same. She pressed the tip of her cold nose to his neck, making him shiver slightly. They stayed like that for a few moments before he signed.

"I'd better get you home if I want to keep my throat in one piece," he said sadly.

"Already?" she asked. He nodded, and then untangled themselves and stood. As they got ready to leave, he noticed Renesmee staring at Embry as he kissed his girlfriend. They stood on the outside of the fire, slightly away from the group and held each other tightly as they locked their mouths together with passion.

_Why is she watching him do that again?_ He thought.

"You ready?" he asked, breaking her from her trance.

"Yeah, sure," she answered, and they walked to the car. The drive home was quiet. Almost too quiet. Jacob's skin crawled at the thought of the night and how mad she had gotten, and then how silent the small car had become. He pulled up to the Cullen's main house and returned the Ferrari to the garage where it belonged, and turned to look at her.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?" he asked, tossing the keys on their hook in the garage.

"Cottage," she replied, heading out the door. He followed, and they began the trek down the worn path towards Edward and Bella's small cottage out in the woods. They walked at human pace in silence; the only noise was the sound of the crickets chirping in the late summer air.

Halfway to the cottage, he reached out and stopped her. "Wait," he broke the quiet, pulling her to a stop.

The tension between them could be cut with a knife. _It wouldn't even have to be a sharp knife at this point,_ he thought sarcastically to himself. He couldn't get the feeling of the electric jolt he had felt between them at the bonfire off his mind, and he didn't want to risk getting any closer to the cottage for fear of Edward overhearing.

He couldn't wait. He had to be with her. He had to _feel_ her. Edward be dammed.

She halted, her eyes falling to the forest floor. She knew that they were out of earshot of both houses, and was instantly grateful. Turning around to face him, she was taken aback by the look blazing in his now almost black eyes.

Her heart rate sped up and she felt her palms begin to sweat as he visibly tried to gather his words. The electricity between them sizzled once again, and this time she took notice of the unseen current that burned in her veins.

_Now or never Jacob..._

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, stepping closer to her. She looked up, her brown eyes full of question.

"Yes."

"Why were you staring at Embry and Jackie tonight, just before we left?"

Renesmee was caught off guard by his question. She hadn't planned on having to explain that one. She had been caught.

"I don't know, just watching them...it's different to see him with a girl after all these years," she answered truthfully. For as long as she had known him, Embry had been a single guy, never so much as looking at another girl.

"Yeah, well...they're new. I mean, they just started dating a few weeks ago...and that's how people are when they first get together. All mushy and stuff."

"Oh."

"So why were you looking at them?"

She was quickly growing frustrated with this game. "I don't know, Jacob, I just was!"

"Why?"

She huffed and started to stomp away towards the cottage, but he reached out and stopped her again.

"Tell me, Ness."

"I don't know, Jacob. I DON'T KNOW!"

He kept his calm. "I think you do," he replied smugly. Her cheeks flushed so red that they felt like they were burning.

"I just...just..." she stammered, trying to collect her thoughts. She hadn't expected him to confront her about this.

"What?" he prodded.

"Just...don't you ever wonder? What it's like?"

Her words send him into a brief shock. She _wanted _that. He knew now. He knew that this was it.

"Do I wonder what it's like to what?" he asked, teasing her. He couldn't help but want to tease her a little now that he knew she was interested in kissing and things like that.

She felt her blood boil under her skin. He was toying with her. Her anger finally getting the best of her, she spun on her heel and took off again into the woods. He raced in front of her and stopped her abruptly.

"I want to try something," he said, grabbing her shoulders.

"What?" she huffed, crossing her arms. She was in no mood to be toyed with. Her vampire side was quickly getting irritated.

He took his chance. Even if he didn't tell her about the imprint now, there was still something else he wanted to test out.

He grabbed her wrists and uncrossed her hard arms, placing them around his neck. He closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief when her all too willing body met with his, the heat between them practically searing.

She looked at him questioningly, not sure what to do. Before she had any more time to think about it, he brushed his hot, wanting mouth against hers.


	8. But you're untouchable

_I don't wanna be friends  
I want your loving  
I want your revenge_

_You and me could write a bad romance_

_Bad Romance – Lady Gaga_

_~*~_

Chapter 6

**(Renesmee's POV)**

At that moment when his delightfully hot lips brushed against mine for the first time, a number of things could have happened at that point.

The forest could have burst into flames. The sky could have fallen down around us, the each of the stars exploding like atom bombs when they hit the ground. The world could have fallen off its own _axis_ and I wouldn't have noticed. I wouldn't have exactly cared, either.

The only thing my mind could even _contemplate_ at that moment was the fact that his searing lips were now crashing into mine repeatedly, and his hands were burning a hot trail from my shoulder blades down my back. The rested on my waist and he began to knead the skin that my slightly –raised shirt exposed.

It was like fire. Like a deliciously hot, sinfully good and excruciatingly pleasurable fire. If there is such a thing.

Again and again his kissed me. I could feel his hands begin to shake around my waist as he struggled to keep them there and not move up my body to explore other place…and oh boy how I wanted him to explore those _other_ places. His chaste kisses were glorious against my lips, but I could tell that he was yearning for more. He wanted to break this barrier as much as I did – I could _feel it_ in the way his hands burned and shook on my cool skin.

It was indescribable. The electric currently between us burned and sparked and the flames slowly licked at our two bodies as we stood in the chilly night air, unaware of anything else that was possibly going on around us. I felt my hands clawing at his skin; wrenching themselves in his shaggy hair, aching to feel every inch of his sinewy muscles as they coiled with want beneath his skin. I could feel how much he wanted me as my body seemed to melt into his.

The seconds ticked by, but my internal clock was frozen as my mind whirled to take in this moment. Even in my hurry to kiss him, my vampire mind made fleeting attempt to savor this moment so that it could be burned into my memory forever. 

Boldly, I pulled his hands tighter around my body and in turn wove my hands through his shaggy black hair again. I didn't have much experience when it came to kissing (well, okay, none) but I knew enough from watching Alice's cheesy romantic comedies to get the general idea. For a non human, she was probably the most obsessed with being the most human-like in my family, and cheesy teen flicks were her forte when it came to studying love.

Shoving those thoughts aside, I tried my best to concentrate. To savor the moment. My mind was still swirling around itself to attempt to burn every essence of this experience into my mind, cataloging it away to think about forever. But I was unable to focus on much of anything except the pleasant embers of lust burning on my lips as I met with his.

My only thought now was, _this is it. You are finally kissing Jacob Black..._

Even as we were, the excitement of finally feeling his arms wrapped tightly around her made my body ache for more. His kisses were guarded; I wanted more. Feeling as though this might be my only chance, I boldly parted my lips and forced my tongue against the barrier of his lips. I could feel him start to respond slightly as he parted his own and for a blazing hot second I could feel his warm tongue on mine.

Every nerve ending in my body began to explode as he moved his mouth slowly from my lips to my neck. He kissed and lightly licked a hot trail down and paused at my collar bone. I inhaled quickly and gripped his shaggy hair tighter as he began to kiss and erotically suck at my collar bone. I barely had a chance to register this before he was making his way slowly; _painfully_ back up to my neck.

I was in heaven; no, heaven didn't describe this feeling properly. _Bliss._ There we go. _Bliss_ pretty much covered it.

He paused for a second before biting my earlobe. My feet felt numb for the first time in my life; my legs felt like honey – unstable and hard to move. He sensed it was getting harder and harder for me to stand as he worked his magic on me. I wrapped one of my legs around his as he moved his mouth back onto mine. Jacob wrapped his arms around my torso tighter just as I felt myself almost completely lose control of my legs. The searing heat of his body pressed so tightly against mine was causing my own body temperature to rise; not like I minded, but my body had definitely taken note of his heat. I faintly noticed that beats of sweat were starting to gather on my face and neck where my hair met my skin, and he began to do the same. The smell of the damp sweat on our bodies only seemed to fuel our need for each other as we continued to kiss. This was amazing.

He continued to kiss me, his hot tongue delightfully parting my lips to run along my own lips and teeth. I caught myself smiling faintly as he kissed me, and a quiet laugh escaped his mouth as well, as if we were sharing the same thought – _yes, we are finally doing this and it's everything I hoped for._

He moved his blazing mouth to my other ear, but this time he began to kiss and lightly suck just below it. That was my un-doing. I felt the wetness between my legs that I usually felt after waking up from one of my Jacob dreams. It saturated my underwear in seconds as he continued his delightful but excruciating movements of his mouth on my neck and lips. Suddenly, he stiffened and broke the kiss.

I could feel his muscles tense and he jumped back, racing to the other side of the clearing in a flash.

His black eyes glittered and his nostrils flared in an almost panicked manner. I felt blood rushing to my face as I bit my lip and looked at the ground in a split second of embarrassment. He had _smelled _it. He had smelled my arousal instantly. Blood pooled in my cheeks as I flushed furiously, absolutely mortified for a split second. My body shook once as the shock from being separated from his warmth sunk in; the chilly air of the forest was a stark contrast.

I tried to read the expression on his face, but I had no words for it.

My mouth gaped open at him, already aching the loss of his tender lips on mine. I looked at him with shock as his expression changed from lust to confusion to determination. I read him like a book…and I wished I couldn't. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily several yards away from me; his breath leaving and rapidly entering his chest was the only noise in the dark forest. My own breath was frozen in my throat, unable to move. We stood in the clearing, both still as the trees around us as I tried to anticipate his next move. I was still slightly humiliated that he was able to tell I was aroused, but quickly decided that _my _Jacob wouldn't care…right?

Time stood still.

He looked at me, still panting. It looked as though his shirt was suddenly too tight against his heaving chest and might burst from his tan skin. I couldn't take this; the silence was too much and it was starting to eat at me.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" I asked, my voice startling us both. The words fell from my mouth quickly before I could wait for him to speak.

He paused, closing his mouth and getting control over himself. I couldn't tell if he looked like he was going to run or kiss me again.

The silence was deafening.

"Nessie....that was...." he trailed off, and I could see his mouth searching for the words in the darkness. A glimmer of hope sparked in my thrumming heart as I tried to calm myself enough to listen to his words. A small breath of air escaped my lips as I waiting for him to finish speaking. I was inching closer and closer to him, my body aching to feel him against me once more.

I couldn't contain my excitement and adrenaline any longer. I stepped closer to him, grabbing his hands in my own. I leaned my forehead against his chest, smiling to myself as my body exploded with heat and excitement. I felt like my world had finally opened up; I felt reborn from that moment. My body felt the pull of his beating heart and his appealing, woodsy scent, and I wanted it. I needed it.

I fought to form words with my mouth that had just been connected with his.

"Amazing? Wonderful? Exquisite?" I stammered. My temple rested against his heart – I could feel it soaring under my ear. I turned and couldn't help myself as I felt my lips brush across his tight, muscled chest. He may as well been my own personal magnet. I found his large, calloused hands and held them between us, just above my heart that was thrumming wildly.

He spoke at the same instant that the words fell from my mouth.

"An accident," he said. The words cut through me like a dull blade.

"What?" I asked, stepping back from him. He took a step back as well, his emotional black eyes falling to the ground. He dug at the dirt with the toe of his shoe, rubbing the back of his muscled neck with his hand, as if he was in pain. His eyes rose to meet my gaze and they were so black with seriousness that I felt like my world had been shattered.

"An accident?" I heard my voice tremble, barely audible. He was saying that this was an accident? That _he_ had kissed _me_ and it had been an accident?

My world stopped for the second time that night; but not for a good reason like before, and my palms began to sweat in his own hands.

My heart that felt as though it had just started to blossom and bloom and come alive...felt like it already crumbling beneath me. _An accident? How could something to glorious and right be labeled an accident?_

"Yes," he replied, dropping my hands. He turned away from me, visibly upset. I clung to his flannel shirt, pulling him back to face me.

"What are you saying?"

"Nessie, you heard me. It was an accident...I..I..Didn't know it would go that far. You have to understand-"

I was instantly horrified and insane with anger. I watched his face for a sign of a lie, but it was suddenly as expressive as a concrete statue. He didn't waiver.

"Now you wait just a god-damn minute Jacob Black. You bring me out in the woods and kiss _me_ and you turn around and tell me that it was an _accident?_

He paused, visibly upset. But he couldn't possibly be as upset as I was at this moment.

"I'm sorry Ness, but we can't do things like that...it..It's not right," he stammered. His eyes left mine for the first time in what felt like a millennia and began to shift uneasily around the forest.

"Why?" I demanded.

"I just..I can't let myself let go like that...we can't do things like that. I had no idea that it would feel..." he trailed off, stopping himself from continuing and a flicker of hope danced in my veins.

"So right? So amazing? What, Jake, WHAT?"

"I...I....we just can't do that. It was a mistake to bring you out here and do that to you. It's not fair to you...to me...or anyone involved. It was a stupid accident Nessie, and I never should have done it."

My hands began to tremble as I stared into his dark, serious eyes. The tears began to well up in my own from the shame of rejections. I had never felt so used in my entire life.

"Because...I promised myself...and your parents that I would never-"

"This has NOTHING to do with my parents Jake and you know it!"

"Nessie, you and I can't-"

I cut him off as my rage built inside me. "What do you mean?" I shrieked, my voice echoing off the trees. I was sure that my family members could hear us now, but I just didn't' care. With each word, he was breaking me.

"I didn't know..That it would feel like...like..."

"Like what?"

"Like it was wrong," he replied. My rage boiled and seared through my hardened veins.

"Wrong?" I repeated, searching his dark eyes. "You were there, Jake, and you cannot even _begin_ to tell me that what just happened between us was wrong!"

My shrill yell rang out in the dark woods, causing a nearby animals to scuttle away, further into the darkness.

"Yes I can!" he yelled back finally. His words shocked me into quiet.

I didn't understand. That kiss we had shared had been nothing short of electrifying, and I wasn't going to let him get away with telling me that it wasn't meant to be. I reached over, placing my palm on his chest and concentrated. I flooded his mind with the kiss from my point of view, focusing mainly on the way his heat and passion made my knees week and my heart flutter. I showed him how good it felt and how much I wanted it.

He pulled away suddenly, gasping for breath as if he was drowning. "Stop!" he snapped, shoving my hand away.

I bit my lip and looked at him, my hand falling back down to rest at my side. It hadn't worked. I had only wanted to show him how good it felt and how much I wanted us to be together. What was so bad about sharing a kiss with my best friend? Nothing, I didn't think….

Suddenly, it all made sense. The imprinting. Jacob had imprinted, or thought he would soon, and that's why this was so wrong for him. He felt like he was cheating on his imprint.

"Is this about the imprinting?" I suddenly asked, facing away from him. I didn't see the look of pure shock on his russet face.

"The imprinting? How did you know about that?" he asked slowly. I could feel his heart pound and his breath speeding up.

"You've told me about imprinting for years, I'm not an idiot," I replied, turning around quickly. His black eyes were full of emotion as I stared at him. He continued to watch me silently, waiting for me to speak again.

"I see it, Jacob I see it!" I yelled, crossing my arms tightly against my chest. It all made perfect sense now.

"You do?"

"Yes! That's why all of this is so hard for you! That's why it's hard for you to be with me, because you know you're going to imprint on someone someday, isn't that right?!"

His silence confirmed my suspicions.

I clutched my sides and began to shake as the pain of what I had just realized began to haunt and tear at me.

"You're afraid that kissing me like that and feeling those feelings about _me_ will ruin what you'll have someday with..._her_," I spat, my voice seeping with jealousy. Visions began to form in my mind of Jacob, _my_ Jacob spending his days with some other girl. Holding the hand of some other girl. _Kissing_ some other girl the way he had kissed _me. _Jealousy filled my thoughts as they swirled around my head, becoming more and more tainted with hate and envy as I pictured the scenarios. Whoever_ she_ was going to be, she certainly wouldn't think kindly of him having a vampire for a best friend – I would be history.

Jacob was silent.

"So I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I? Jacob answer me!" I screamed, turning back around to face him. His black eyes stared back at me, as if they were gaining entrance into my soul.

"No, you're not right. I haven't imprinted on some other girl, Ness, and I'm not going to," he said softly.

"Lies! All lies! I've been to the bonfires, Jacob, I've heard the stories. I know what goes on, and I should have figured out sooner that it would only be a matter of time before you replace me with _her!_ I spat.

He frowned, letting a low growl escape his lips. "What are you talking about? Her? Her who?

I made a scowling face and looked at him incredulously. "Whoever you imprint on! She's not going to think kindly of you having a vampire for a best friend! I'll be history for sure! I don't stand a chance against your imprint, whoever she is. If you haven't already met her and just not told me about it…"

"First of all," he growled. "Nothing and no one could tear me away from you. Impossible, I-"

"I've seen how you all are with your imprints! I know better than that, Jacob. I'm no fool!"

"I never said you were, Ness…but nothing could ever take me away from you, and I don't want you to ever think that anything ever could!"

"You think if Quil had had a best friend before he met Claire he would have been able to ignore Claire for her?" I challenged.

Jacob looked at me blankly, clearly unsure what to say next.

"So I was right," I huffed, crossing my arms in front of my chest. A look of pain crossed his features for a split second before he cleared his face of emotion.

"We just can't do that Ness...I...I want you to forget about that imprinting thing, none of that matters now," he replied.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"How could it not matter, Jake? Someday, you're going to have an imprint and I'm going to lose my best friend!" I said, tears beginning to form in my eyes. "And if the thought of losing me as your best friend and potentially…whatever….that was kiss was about…if that doesn't all break your heart then I'm not sure what to think then, Jake," I said, fumbling over my words.

"It doesn't matter now. The imprinting thing means nothing. But we can't do what we just did...at least not now," he added, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"Well if your future _imprint_ will be upset with you then I'm sorry!" I spat.

He shook his head at me, his eyes boiling with his own anger. I felt my body recoil slightly. There was _no way _he was going to get away with being mad at me. I was the one who was mad at _him. _

"What right do you have to be angry with me, Jacob? Huh? None!" I hissed, taking a step closer to him.

"Ness, you don't understand! This has nothing to do with the imprint. If you could only see what's going on inside my head right now you would understand! I...I...I want to do the right thing here, you have no idea!" he yelled at me, taking another step closer to me.

My anger and rage swirled around in my chest until I couldn't contain it anymore.

"Ulgh! I've had enough of you for one night Jacob! You can just go to hell!" I screamed back at him. We were almost nose to nose, our angered breaths echoing in the woods. He won out, and I spun away from him, clutching my sides.

I didn't even have to look to see that he barely made it away from me before he turned and phased, and then he was gone. The only sound in the forest was of my tearful sobs and the pieces of his clothing that had been destroyed as they fell to the ground.

Jacob was now gone, and I was alone.

**(End Renesmee's POV)**

* * *

As soon as Jacob phased, he cringed internally as he heard several of his wolf pack brothers inside his mind. He was hoping to phase and run away from this whole ugly scene and be alone for a few hours. He just wanted to run.

The pull of his imprint on his chest made running away almost impossible, but he couldn't breathe in the clearing. He felt like his chest was collapsing as he gasped for air that wasn't infused with her sweet, beautiful scent. For the first time ever, it burned in his nose as he ran.

He winced as he felt Quil, Embry, and Seth read his thoughts. They too cringed when they saw in his mind's eye what had just transpired in the clearing with Renesmee.

_Dude, I'm so sorry_. Seth was the first to voice his sorrow for his Alpha's suffering.

_What happened? _Embry questioned.

_You guys KISSED?? WOO HOOO!!! Finally! _Quil hooted.

_Yeah Jake! __  
_

_Why'd you run away?_

_Are you gonna be okay?_ Quil wondered.

_Quil, I just need a few moments to clear my head. I can't even think right now. I just ran. Enjoy living before Edward rips me limb from limb. I don't even think I could fight back after what just happened. _

_Just calm down…it can't be all that bad,_ Quil tried to reason with him.

_You weren't there man_, Jacob replied. _She…we…kissed…and I freaked…I can't even think straight._

_That's how it's supposed to be, Jake. She's your imprint, _Quil said.

_That's just the thing…she got mad after I told her it was a mistake and now she thinks that I've imprinted on someone else, or at least I'm going to…this is such a fucking mess, it's not even funny._

_Well, it's a little funny._

_Embry, I swear…I'm gonna-_

_Just calm down Jake. So you kissed your imprint. So what? Wasn't it great? It's like nothing else in this world…_Embry thought, flooding their minds with images of Jackie and kissing her soft lips.

_Embry, knock it off! _Jacob thought sternly._ I can't think about that right now. What the hell am I going to do?_

_I say be a man and go back there, now Jake. Edward would respect that; I know he would. You can't leave it like this man, you just can't,_ Seth reasoned.

_You would, Seth, you would_…Jacob growled.

_What? I know Edward well, Jake. He's like a brother to me – he should be like one to you too._

_He's gonna be more like, his father in law!_ Quil retorted.

_Shut up! Just everyone shut up…Seth I can't go back there…not after what I did. I left her…I just ran._

_Yeah, and you totally shouldn't have. Just be a man and go back!_ Seth replied sternly.

_Easy for you to say! You had no idea what it was like to have imprinted, last time I checked!_ Jacob shot back.

_Whatever man…just go talk to Edward and Bella. They're really reasonable, they will help you through this. It was just a kiss – it's not like you fornicated with their daughter right there on the forest floor,_ Seth replied.

Instantly, they were all bombarded with mental images from Jacob's mind of his fantasies that involved a very un-innocent activity that he could do with her on the forest floor.

_Ulgh!_

_Nice._

_Thought about that before, have we?_ Embry ribbed at him.

Jacob silently chastised himself for thinking of such things in the company of his phased brothers, but it wasn't easy for him to control his thoughts when he was this upset and frantic.

_Jake…just calm down…this will all work out,_ Quil tried to reason with him.

_Yeah, easier said than done. I kissed her, I left her, and now I'm going to be vampire dinner. Super. _

After his comment, the four of them were silent for a few moments. Jacob took note of where the other boys were through the images around them, and made a point to stay away. Before long, their thoughts began to hum again as they all attempted to think of something besides Renesmee, for Jacob's sake. He heard Embry's voice next, and he thought his head was going to explode.

"_Isn't Jackie beautiful? What do you guys think of her? I swear I could kiss her for days at a time and not even notice…._

Jacob thought he was going to run the three miles away that Embry was and tear him limb from furry limb the next time he spoke.

_I told Jackie everything! I just told her I burst into a fur ball sometimes and that's she's my imprint..I was made for her...,_ Embry replied in a dreamy voice.

_Embry?_ Jake barked mentally, _not now!!!!_

_Sorry Jake...I'll try to control it...I'm really sorry about what happened with Nessie, man...I really am. I'll try not to think about Jackie so much, but it's so hard…_

Jacob instantly felt horrible for yelling at Embry about telling his imprint the truth. He should be happy, not jealous of him. But he wasn't; it was too hard, and he was too envious. It had happened for Embry the way that it should have happened for he and Nessie, but that wasn't the case.

_Yeah, why didn't you just tell her?_ Embry asked after hearing his thoughts.

_You could have made your life a lot easier man, just tell her. I think you make yourself suffer a lot more than you have to..._

_It would make life so much easier if she knew, maybe then you guys could finally be happy together...._

Quil's final remark set him off the edge.

_ENOUGH!!!! I've had enough! I just can't...even process this right now. Is everyone where they need to be for tonight? You are all to phase back immediately. Give me two hours. I need to be alone. Go! _He yelled at his pack.

With that said, he pushed himself and found another ounce of anger with himself that pushed him even faster though the woods. The two wolves that were bounding behind him, Seth and Quil, quickly fell behind as he raced through the woods.

Jacob felt bad that he had abused his Alpha status and yelled at his friends; but tonight he simply wanted to be left alone with his thoughts. He suddenly wanted to be as far away from Forks as possible.

* * *

She hadn't moved. She hadn't taken a breath. She hadn't even begun to think straight before Alice appeared in the clearing.

Alice had been in the main Cullen house, lazily speed reading through her favorite trashy romance novel on her bed and listening to the 'Hits of the 80's', when her vision had clouded. She had gotten a picture of her niece, in the forest, and extremely distressed and nearly catatonic. Jumping up, she had sped through the forest like a meteor flying towards an object – nothing could get in her way.

Alice's eyes widened when she found her niece, clutching her middle, doubled over on the ground. Her eyes were closed tight and her breathing was labored, as if she was having difficulty getting air.

She bent down with concern coloring her face and gently shook her niece.

"Renesmee? Are you okay? I saw you out here alone, and I...I came as fast as I realized..."

Renesmee looked up at her aunt with tear-stained cheeks, suddenly angry that her aunt hadn't warned her about the consequences of kissing her best friend.

"Why didn't you warn me?"

Alice frowned, her golden eyes losing focus slightly as she recalled the vision she had seen earlier in the day of their night at the bonfire. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

She hadn't been sure if Jacob was going to tell Renesmee about the imprint tonight - that's why that part had been foggy. But the kiss had been crystal clear, and everything after that had looked...pleasant. He hadn't made up his mind about anything else, so it was also blurry, but she certainly hadn't foreseen this outcome.

"Nessie,..I….I'm sorry I didn't see," Alice stuttered, perhaps for the first time in her life.

"Alice, he…he kissed me…and then he said it was an accident!"

Alice gritted her razor sharp teeth and resisted the urge to follow Jacob's scent into the woods to twist his neck shut.

"Come on, let's get you home," she replied, scooping Renesmee up into her arms. She darted through the forest towards the Cullen's cottage, hoping to see a glimpse of what was to come.

* * *

Jacob ran and ran until he was certain he was near the Canadian border. How had he managed to screw everything up so bad?

_I'm an idiot, that's how..._he thought bitterly to himself.

He was kicking himself mentally for treating Renesmee like that, and it felt like his body was joining in the fun too. Any type of emotional pain a wolf inflicted on its imprint was doubled back at full force, and Jacob was just starting to understand how badly that hurt. Physically, mentally, and emotionally it was exhausting and excruciating.

He had made a promise to Edward and Bella, and as much as he had wanted to tell Renesmee that she was his imprint and live happily ever after, it just wasn't that easy. He knew what he wanted to tell her - but Edward's order to not tell her until the time was right may as well have been an Alpha order. Jacob was and always had a hard time disobeying Edward's wishes ever since that fateful day almost seven years ago when he had imprinted on his daughter.

Jacob knew that he was lucky to even be breathing after imprinting on a vampire's daughter - he didn't really want to do anything else to piss off the coven of leeches.

When Renesmee had hit the ground crying, it felt like his chest had been split open. When he had turned and phased, running into the forest if felt like someone was removing his heart with a bare fist. Each breath he sucked into his wolf lungs burned in protest; even his feet felt heavy as he ran.

He had screwed up big time. The worst part was that there was no time to fix it either - he had already put off moving to school for as long as possible - classes started the day after tomorrow. And even if he did go to apologize to Nessie tonight, there was no way that she would even speak to him. He knew his imprint, and he knew that it would be a day or two before she calmed down. He knew that this one would just take time to fix.

Shaking his head, he tried to banish the image of Renesmee curled up on the forest floor from his head. This was a bad sign. He couldn't make the picture of her crumpled body go away. He had seen that image before, in the head of Sam Uley.

_...It was the same way her mother had been found, many years before...._

With a heavy sigh, he turned and headed back towards La Push. He knew that running away from his problems wasn't the right thing to do, but he couldn't beat to head home just yet. He changed his mind several times during his run, ending up at the water's edge on Neah Bay, the most western tip of Washington. It was a place that he liked to visit, for it boasted tall, rocky cliffs that overlooked the ocean and it's blue-green inlets of water. At times when he was conflicted, he would come there and look out over the water to clear his thoughts a bit. Huffing slightly, his breath came out in short puffs of cloudy air. The salt scent from the water burned pleasantly at his nose, almost the way Bella did to him now.

He laughed internally when he thought of how disgusted he thought he would be with Renesmee's mother after she was changed into a vampire, but he really didn't have much to complain about. She wasn't cold and marble- like, she was just cooler and her skin was harder to harm, which was a good thing in clumsy Bella's case. Her scent wasn't entirely as unpleasant as he thought it would be; it was sweeter and burned his nose a bit. All and all, he now understood why she had made the change; for love. Now that Renesmee was in his life, he was a lot more lenient with people when they did things 'for love'.

_And if Bella wasn't a vampire, I would never have gotten Ness,_ he thought to himself.

Snorting at the thought, he sat down on his haunches and tried his best to enjoy the view of the tides rolling in, one by one.

Sure, the cliffs there weren't that different from the ones on La Push beach back home, but it was something about this place being the furthest west point in Washington that appealed to him. It was almost like if he stood up and stretched tall enough he could see another place, far, far away from the home he had always known.

As much as he didn't want to leave Renesmee, he knew that at some point, he needed to get out of La Push. Before Bella, the Cullens, and Renesmee had some into his life, he had plans and dreams about travelling all over North America; seeing all the great sights that the continent had to offer. His ability to phase would eliminate the cost of travel, and he could cover lots of ground without tiring. His plans had been perfect. Then, everything else had happened while he was busy planning.

_I guess life really is what happens when you're busy doing other things,_ he thought. Turning to leave, he continued on his run to think some more. Maybe thoughts would come easier as the darkness flashed by in a blur of speed.

* * *

Edward heard the thoughts of his daughter and sister as they approached. His head snapped up from the game of chess he was playing with Bella and he abruptly shoved his chair back from the table sending it toppling over behind him. Bella looked up and her motion matched his as she heard Alice's familiar footsteps a few seconds later. They both whipped outside just as Alice skidded to a graceful halt in front of them, their daughter in her arms. .

"Oh my god, what happened?!" Bella shrieked, her hand flying to cover her mouth. The salty scent of Renesmee's tears both shocked and horrified her mother. Edward's mouth gaped open as he got bits and pieces from Alice's head. She was trying to block him from seeing anything in her head for Renesmee's privacy, but she was so panicked he was getting bits and pieces.

_Jacob....found in the woods...imprint...wasn't supposed to happen yet...she's numb...so sad..._ Edward suddenly heard a few of her thoughts as he took in the sign of his seemingly comatose daughter.

"Alice, what happened?" He asked, taking his daughter out of her arms. Renesmee sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve but otherwise appeared catatonic.

"Edward, I…"

"This is no time for silly blocking games, Alice. I need to know what happened to my daughter!"

Suddenly , the image in Alice's thoughts of Renesmee, curled up on for forest floor clutching her sides with pain made him almost gasp in pain. Edward stiffened and handed her to Bella before nearly collapsing with emotion himself as he read Alice's mind of what had just happened.

He had seen this image before from the mind of Jacob. It was the image Jacob used to taunt and prod at him when they were still fighting over Bella. The pain in her brown eyes as she sobbed made him want to cry himself.

"I'll kill him," he muttered angrily.

Alice's head snapped up and looked at him. "Yes, Edward, because that will certainly help things, wouldn't you agree?"

As mad as she was a Jacob for kissing her niece and then ditching her in the forest, she knew that Edward or any of them for that matter hurting him wouldn't make this situation any better.

_Can you imagine what she would be like if you did that? Not smart. Not a good plan, _she thought pointedly at her brother.

"What happened to her?" Bella repeated, her wide eyes taking in her clearly shaken daughter. She looked between the two of them franticly, her panic growing with each second.

"Enough with the silent conversations!" Bella finally fumed.

"Edward, please…hurting him for upsetting her will only make them both suffer later, and you of all people should be able to recognize that," Alice said.

He barely heard his sister as she spoke; his thoughts were clouded with rage at the mutt who had done this to his daughter. He knew it was too soon, and this only proved his point further. Even though Renesmee had the body of a near seventeen year old and the mind of someone three times her age, her emotional age was definitely that of a seven year old – she was easily overwhelmed and sometimes felt overloaded.

In his mind, the faces of his now wife and the face of his daughter swirled together and formed one picture. It was of a girl...tormented...her heart broken by the one she loved. The broken face of the girl lying on the forest floor had haunted his thoughts many times, and ee winced just at the thought of that picture in his head. It was the picture that Jacob Black had tortured him with many times years ago after he returned from Italy with Bella.

Meanwhile, Alice had seen enough. She was determined to put her two cents in about this situation.

"Bella, it's time," Alice said softly, handing Bella her daughter. Renesmee was transferred from one pair of iron strong arms to another like a baby.

"Time?" Bella asked. She was almost certain she knew what Alice was talking about, but didn't want to acknowledge that it was here. Alice gave her a meaningful look, and Bella nodded.

Edward looked up as the two of them exchanged glances. He knew that it was time for Bella to shield their daughter from him to give her much needed privacy.

"Alice-" he started.

_I'm asking you for her privacy, Edward. Bella has said it before – she would have been mortified if Charlie could read her thoughts as a seventeen year old girl. Please give your daughter her privacy when she needs it most – right now. Let Bella do this for her. You'd want the same thing! _Alice reminded him silently.

Bella looked between the two of them and impatiently stamped her food on the moist ground.

"Sorry," Alice said. "Edward here is just arguing with me about-"

"I am not arguing, Alice, I-"

She held up a tiny white hand and gave him a pointed look. "Edward, this isn't fair for her. She's reached a point in her life when it's more mortifying than helpful to have her father be able to read her teenage mind. Please, Edward do this for your daughter. Do this for Renesmee's own good," she pleaded.

Bella looked down at her daughter in her arms. She had stopped crying, but was now squeezing her eyes closed so tight it looked painful.

_It's like she's trying to stop her tears from coming..._ Alice thought.

Edward snarled and glanced into the woods in the direction of La Push, and fought against his animalistic side to go and rip the mutt to shreds, treaty and imprint be dammed. He crouched slightly, his muscles coiled and ready to go on the hunt for the boy who crossed his daughter and hurt her feelings.

Renesmee's sniffle broke his concentration, and Alice cleared her throat.

_Stop acting like a child, Edward, hurting Jacob will only hurt Nessie, you know that!_ She chided him mentally.

Edward gave his daughter a pained look and stood up straight from his crouched position.

Bella looked up at Edward, questioning what she should do. He knew that her vampire mind and ability to concentrate would allow her to put a strong, holding shield over their daughter so that he could no longer hear her, but he was completely torn. He had always used his talent to comfort his daughter when her emotions sent her into overload, and he did not relish the idea of not being able to hear her at all. How was he supposed to help her then? He opened his own mind a bit to sample his daughter's, but all he got was a few bits and pieces that were incoherent.

_Embry and Jackie kissing at the bonfire…I didn't realize…he wanted this…I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy…._

Bella cleared her throat to break him from thought.

"I think Alice is right," he said. "You both are…it's time. I can't help her anymore."

Bella nodded and gave him a tight lipped smile.

"You're doing the right thing, Edward," Alice added.

He watched as his wife concentrated for a second as she adjusted her shield to include their still sniffling daughter. She shuddered a bit in Bella's arms and closed her eyes again, her mind still a mile away, not that it mattered. Her thoughts were now her own.

* * *

Jacob finally made it back to Forks in the early hours of the morning. He wasn't sure how far he had gone after he left the cliffs at Neah Bay, but it had taken him almost four hours to run back to the cottage nestled far into the woods. He approached the house, listening. He couldn't hear Edward and Bella - he guessed they were either being very still, or they were out hunting. Listening closer, he heard the one sound that made his entire body freeze.

Inside, Renesmee's heart was beating steadily...almost _fluttering, _and her breathing was slow and deep. She was finally asleep.

The entire time he ran, the more his chest ached and his head pounded in protest for what he had done. Wincing, he closed his eyes and was greeted by the image of Renesmee's face on the backs of his eyelids, as if she had been tattooed there by a sadistic artist set out to torture him.

Nothing was helping. He was going to have to talk to her later about what had happened, which he knew would be no walk in the park.

He padded up to the house carefully, not especially wanting to be noticed. If Edward and Bella realized he was there, they didn't protest. He quietly curled up in his usual place under Renesmee's window, just behind a patch of daylilies and tried to get some rest; the peaceful, rhythmic sound of her heart lulling him to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Cullen house, Alice was in the midst of a battle of wills. With herself.

Her already cloudy vision of her niece had all but disappeared, meaning Jacob was most likely near her. Just the thought mustered a low, guttural growl from her throat.

From somewhere in the house, Emmett hooted in laughter in response to the sound, causing her to growl again, this time at him.

"Why so angry lil sis?" Emmett called up the stairs towards her bedroom.

"I just am, go away Emmett," she spat, knowing he could hear her.

Emmett boomed his laugh again, clapping his hands together and his irritated little sister.

"You know you sound like a pissed off Pomeranian when you growl like that!" he shot at her before darting away.

Alice just rolled her eyes and began to pace around her and Jasper's bedroom. Emmett _would_ compare her to a small dog. She wrinkled her nose and paced even faster.

One side of her brain told her to go over to the cottage, drag the mutt far enough away from the Renesmee's window and then proceed to beat him senseless. Or, shave him like a lion, which she knew was always an idle threat between pack brothers.

_Maybe I'll just shave a big heart on his rump and paint it pink..._ she thought to herself.

On the other hand, she knew that she needed to stay out of it. She hated the fact that this would all be solved if Renesmee was a few months older, her mind was a little more ready for a mature relationship, and she would be informed that she was Jacob's imprint.

Unfortunately, none of her gifts included the ability to conveniently speed up time so that her niece could be happy. She really wanted this whole imprint business to be done with and have everyone move on with their lives. However, she couldn't help but side with Edward and Bella.

They had only had seven short years with their little girl due to her rapid growth rate, and they naturally wanted to treasure every second they had with her as it was. They hated to see her childhood taken away by a _wolf_ thing. It wasn't that they wanted to keep her away from Jacob - they wanted to keep her away from adulthood. Not that Alice could blame them. The seven years Renesmee had been alive had flown by in a blissful, amazing blur. No one in the family could have ever predicted that the little girl would have such huge impact on their rarely changing lives.

Besides, it wasn't like she didn't like Jacob really. She secretly enjoyed watching anything that annoyed Rosalie, and there certainly wasn't a shortage of that with Jacob around. Jacob made Renesmee happy; he always had. Alice had never doubted Renesmee's love for her best friend and imprint; Jasper was able to sense her feelings towards Jacob, and he assured her that they were unlike anything he had ever felt before.

She didn't know what it was like to have an imprint, but she imagined it to come with a lot of added pressure. How was Renesmee to know at such a young age that Jacob was indeed the one for her? It must be a great amount of stress to have to settle with the idea that Jacob was the only one she would ever be with - forever.

Her mind told her to question such a thing, but she could not ignore the way she saw the two of them look at each other. They had looked at each other with nothing mutual love and understanding since the day Nessie was born.

Suddenly, Rosalie burst through her bedroom door, her normally liquid topaz eyes black with anger.

"Where is he? Where is he headed?" Rosalie panted from the doorway, her eyes wild with anger and hatred for Jacob.

"Oh no…how did you find out?" Alice moaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"_TELL ME!!!!"_

Alice jumped slightly, her glazed eyes turning to look at her furious sister, and apologetic Emmett on her heels as she quickly stomped across the room.

"Sorry," he mouthed behind Rosalie to Alice.

She shook him off and looked back at her furious sister.

"Where is that disgusting excuse for a mutt! I will rip him open and spill his blood on the ground just to _spite him!!!!"_ she shrieked. Both Alice and Emmett winced at Rosalie's shrill voice in the large room.

"Where is he heading?! Tell me so I can go meet him and _WRING HIS NECK!!!"_

"I can't see him anyway, and even if I could, I wouldn't tell you anything, Rose, so give it up," Alice replied smugly, raising an eyebrow. She knew this would only provoke her sister's anger, but she had had enough already.

"I want to kill him! I know I've said it before, but I do! I'm going to kill him!"

"Rose," Emmett began, reaching for his wife. She grabbed his arm, twisting – and body slammed her husband onto the floor, planting her heeled food on his chest with a grunt. She leaned down to put her face closer with his.

"Stay out of it," she growled. Emmett lay in the floor, stunned at his wife's brute strength. He looked up at Alice from his pinned position on the floor and made a cowardly face.

"Rose!" Carlisle said sternly, appearing in the door. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Rosalie turned to look at their father, her golden hair flying; Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry, but this is taking it too far, there is no excuse for his behavior! That stupid mutt…" she continued.

"Yes, Rose, because killing him will just fix _all_ our problems," Alice said in a mocking tone.

Rosalie growled at her and started in her direction, before Emmett came to and grabbed her ankle to make her stop.

Carlisle held up his hands to silence them all. "This is none of our concern. This is for Edward and Bella to fix, not us. We must give them their privacy right now, and help only if they ask it," he replied calmly. He took Rosalie by the arm, and Emmett stood, accessing his injuries. He cast another apologetic glance at Alice before the three of them stepped out, leaving her alone again.

She put her fingers on either side of her head on her temples and tried to concentrate to see what was in store for her niece. Although Renesmee was still hard for her to see, she often got bits and pieces. In seven years, she had become a pro at deciphering her visions, as Jacob usually made them quite cloudy and hard to see.

She stood up against the glass windows that lined one wall of her and Jasper's bedroom, staring out into the woods. She felt a familiar, warming breeze as her mate approached, his footsteps almost soundless, even to her. The faint glow of the bedroom lights reflected in the glass, and she could see Jasper standing in the doorway of their bedroom behind her, his honey and sunshine flavored scent meeting her nose.

Smiling, she felt a wave of calm wash over her as she stood.

"Thanks, Jazz," she replied, turning to face him. He walked up to her slowly and wrapped his arms around her tightly, stroking her spiky hair.

"Now why are you plotting ways to punish Jacob Black?"

"Hey, when did you decide to borrow Edward's mind reading trick?"

"I didn't."

"Then how'd you know what I was thinking about?"

"Because," he replied, squeezing her tightly. "I can tell by the frown on your face that you're contemplating something, and I took a lucky guess."

"Hmmmph!" she pouted, clunking her head into his chest.

"That and the waves of pure anger and conflict that are rolling off those little shoulders," he added with a quiet laugh. Alice tried to glare at her husband, but soon her pale face broke into a grin.

"But how are you really feelin darlin? About all this? " he asked, his sweet Southern accent dripping over his words. Her smile at him was pained as she shook her head.

"I want to fix everything, naturally."

"What else is new?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

Alice snorted daintily, clasping her hands around her strong, wiry husband. Closing her eyes, she tried her best to enjoy the waves of calm and serenity that he was giving to her.

"It almost makes me glad that she's not our daughter...I...I think I would have told her," Alice said, looking up at him.

"It _almost_ makes you glad?" he asked, his voice hollow of emotion.

"Yeah..._almost."_

Alice did not need Edward's gift of mind-reading to know that Jasper had always wanted a child, a boy especially. He would have reveled in teaching their son history, how to fight, and the importance of Southern manners. She closed her eyes and pictured a boy, tall and somewhat lanky, yet still graceful with honey blonde hair and blue eyes...Neither one of them had any clue what their eye color had been when they were human, but Alice definitely liked blue the best.

Jasper seemed to sense what she was thinking about as feelings of insecurity and doubt rolled off of her.

"Hey now, don't be gettin all sad on me. Renesmee as a niece was an unexpected present, and she's been just fine to have around. No need worry about things like that, Alice baby," he said softly, his drawl becoming stronger.

Alice always loved when she could hear his Southern accent in his voice. Decades of living up North and not speaking with other Texans had made it hard to hear when he spoke most of the time; however, certain moments it came back to him.

"I don't like you worryin' about things we can't fix."

"I know...It's just hard sometimes. You know that. It shouldn't difficult for me; I can understand why Rose gets so upset sometimes because she can't have children. But I shouldn't be upset; how could I? I don't remember my mother, or if I even wanted children when I was human. It's never even been an option for me."

"Alice, we have to deal with what we're given. Simple as that."

"I agree. Renesmee has been a wonderful gift that we never expected- you're right about that, and I love her so much. That's why it pains me to not be able to help her!"

"I know," he replied, kissing the top of her tiny head. Not a day went by that his wife didn't amuse him completely.

"I just hate not being able to see!"

"I've heard that before."

"That stupid wolf makes things SO much more complicated than they need to be, I swear!"

"Settled down. Let Edward and Bella take care of it for now. We just have to wait around and see what she needs us to do for her. We'll be there when the time comes."

"Things have been way to calm...I should have seen this coming."

"You can't help it."

"I know, but it just makes me crazy to not be able to foresee these things and help her!

"I know it does, but this isn't new. No one expects you to predict everything that could possibly happen to this family. You're not a super hero."

"It just makes me feel like the bad guy."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Look at the bright side. This isn't something that's going to harm Nessie. Being upset with Jacob and her parents is just part of life - part of being a teenager."

"It just isn't easy to watch her suffer like this Jazz. It kills me."

"No one is upset with you...Nessie just needs some time to get over this. Her pride just took a blow - no one likes that."

"She was counting on me, Jasper. She was counting on me to look out for her."

"Alice-"

"I just wish I had more control...and better sight."

"Everyone wishes that. Sometimes you just have to step back...and just let everyone deal with their own wishes the way they're gonna deal with them. Things are gonna happen, we're gonna have to let them just happen. If anything, our little Nessie has taught us to not always expect the worst when it comes to dealin' with her and her wolf-y friend."

Alice smiled and hugged Jasper tighter. He was right. Her fretting over this would not make it any better. Sometimes Jasper just had a way of putting things that made her feel so much better.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rosalie wasn't taking the news of her niece's disappointment any easier than Alice was.

"Babe, come on, it's gonna be alright. So they kissed!"

"Emmett, you're not helping," Rosalie quipped from her vanity. She sat, running a brush through her long locks; something she did when she was upset and needed to think. She had calmed down considerably since her outburst in Alice's room, however, she was still not pleased with the outcome of things. In her opinion, Edward needed to find the dog and teach him some manners.

"I don't really see what the big deal is," Emmett replied. "He kissed a woman and he freaked out and ran.…just like any normal man should. God damn crazy women, he should be running, screaming for the hills…" He muttered under his breath.

He ducked quickly as a silver hand-mirror soared past his head and lodged itself into the wall behind the bed where he was sprawled out. Little bits of drywall fell from where the mirror had lodged itself and he looked at his wife incredulously.

"Really Rose?" he asked, cocking his head.

"Are you actually siding with that _dog_ over your wife?"

"Babe, I'm not taking a side…I've learned better…" he mumbled. He flinched when she picked up the brush that matched the mirror.

"I can't believe you. He took advantage of Nessie and then he just leaves her…I just want to get in my car and run him over!"

"Pity the fool…" he mumbled, flopping down on their bed.

She hissed at him, and he threw up his hands in defense. "There isn't anything else that matches that mirror and brush, is there?" he asked, wincing.

"You should know, you bought it for me."

"Yeah, I remember," he grumbled.

She turned on her stool at her vanity and looked at him. "You mean you don't mind that your niece is with a were wolf? Really Emmett?"

He shrugged. "You really want to hear my opinion?"

She nodded.

"Okay. Wait- you don't have anything else to throw, do you?" he asked warily, glancing around her at her vanity. She shook her head, trying not to let a smile slip out.

Alright. Here's my honest opinion. She's happy with him. He's kept his hands off her so far and he's willing to die for her, we've already witnessed that when she was born. I literally can't ask for more from him, realistically. Yeah I mean, it sucks that he turns into a dog and he stinks up the house but….he can't help what he is."

Rosalie growled, and Emmett ducked, just in case. "Babe…let me put it this way. Love is love, even if it isn't always species to species, you get what I'm saying?"

"No," she huffed.

"Edward and Bella? She wasn't exactly 'the same' when they met and fell in love, were they?"

"Well…no…"

"And me and you?"

"What about us?"

"Well you always say it was love at first sight for you, right? I was a human, you were a vampire. It didn't matter – you always said you loved me when you saw me on the ground in the woods, dying. Right?"

Rosalie frowned again, knowing she's been beat. Her husband may be a tad goofy at times, but she had to admit….he had a point. But she wasn't giving up that easily.

"I digress. Anyone but a were wolf! Ulgh!"

"We don't know what's gonna happen. I personally don't see why it's such a big deal. We always knew they would end up together, and she's almost seven."

"Thanks for your support," Rosalie growled. She was _not _going to let that mutt get away with this.

* * *

He pressed his foot down harder on the pedal of Billy's beat up Chevy and glanced in the rearview mirror as he passed the sign that read, 'Welcome to Forks, Washington,'.

The sun was barely up as he drove down the damp, still foggy road towards Washington State University, and towards his future. He had slept under Renesmee's window until five, and run back home to shower and pack the last of his things. He and Billy quickly said their good-byes, and he was on his way. Unfortunately, Forks was on his way to school.

School would be a good change for him. He had left the pack against their wishes, but this was something he had to do for himself and for Renesmee.

_Maybe if I have a college degree Blondie won't think of me as Quilute trash..._

He snorted at the thought. The day Rosalie Cullen thought of him as anything but a mangy mutt would be a cold day in hell. Since Renesmee's birth, their relationship had become somewhat civil. Sure, they still traded insults every now and then, but they got along without trying to kill each other.

Looking to the side of the truck as he rolled down the still dim-lit road, he noticed a flash of chocolate brown fur as it flew through the forest beside him.

_Quil,_ he thought. He rolled down the window and let his hand hang out, giving him a wave. He knew his best friend would see it.

As he sped down the still empty roads in the early morning, he fought against the hardest pull his heart had ever felt. He knew that college was important, but he still felt like he was abandoning his imprint.

_I'm doing the right thing, for me and for her. Right?  
_


	9. burning brighter than the sun

If you had not have fallen  
then I would not have found you  
I knew someday that you would fly away  
for love's the greatest healer to be found  
So leave me if you need to, I will still remember  
Angel flying too close to the ground

Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground – Willie Nelson

Chapter 7

The morning light streamed through the windows of the small, cottage room, causing Renesmee to stir in her bed. She squinted her eyes open, frowning at the light for waking her up. It took her a few moments to remember the night before.

She and Jacob had kissed.

And not just any kiss. That had been an earth moving-crowd cheering-get a room kind of kiss, and Jacob had referred to it as 'an accident'. No, it had certainly not been just any kiss.

It had however, been her first kiss. Part of her couldn't be mad – for months now she had been fantasizing and hoping that Jacob would be the first person to kiss her. She had to guiltily admit to herself that it had happened more than once for her to imagine such a scenario – it was one she had to make sure she was far out of earshot of her father to think about. In fact, she had even taken a few runs to just to get away and think about what it would be like to kiss Jacob Black.

She had to admit one thing – her fantasies about that particular moment in time had not done the real thing justice.

The feeling of finally getting her wish was indescribable. Minus the blow up afterwards, it had been absolutely perfect.

_Now if it weren't for his stupid future imprint! It's just not fair! I should be the one who gets to be with him, I'm his best friend…_ she thought bitterly to herself.

Remembering the night before and what had happened made her chest feel like it was going to cave in; like her world was crumbling. He would be gone at school by now, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop him from going – school was important to Jacob, she knew that. They had had many talks about school over the summer, and as much as she had wanted to go with him and not be left behind, she understood why he needed to go.

Jacob had not only been frozen as a seventeen year old boy, but he had also been frozen in life in general. He had spent his entire life in La Push or Forks, or wherever her family went on vacation. He had never really been out of the state for longer than a week or two. His body as well as his entire life had literally been frozen for almost a decade. She couldn't blame him for wanting and needing a change, and she couldn't deny him that.

Glancing at her nightstand, she saw her silver cell phone sitting there. Could she call him? No, you don't call someone after something like that. What would she say?

"_Hi, I know we accidently kissed last night and I thought it was great, but you shouldn't kiss me because you're a were wolf and you have sort of an arranged marriage waiting for you someday, and you kinda left me alone in the woods, that wasn't cool…so yeah…"_

No, she certainly didn't want to that _that _particular conversation.

She sat up in her bed, running a hand through her copper curls, taming them down into place. Glancing outside, she saw that the damp, cloudy day matched her mood. She didn't normally dislike the cloudy weather of her home; it allowed her family to venture outside and enjoy life with her. However, today she would have preferred a sunny day to help lift her somber mood.

She walked over to her closet and opened the doors, looking blankly at the clothes inside. Memories of the night before came flooding back to her as she stood and stared at the racks of clothing. The only thing she could see was the picture of Jacob; his face stern and frozen, void of all emotion. Frowning, she shook her head to herself. That wasn't her Jacob. She had never seen him be so stern with her before, ever.

Heaving a sigh, she gave up. Last night had been a disaster, and now Jacob was gone. Maybe she just wasn't meant to get out of bed that day. Or any other day for that matter.

"Bella, I don't know what to do anymore! She hasn't eaten anything in a day and a half, she doesn't move, she doesn't sleep...this is going to make me lose my mind!"

Bella briefly looked up from her book, her eyes flashing to meet her husband's. She had been trying to ignore his pacing and let him fret for the last two hours, but his ranting was making it hard.

"She can hear you, you know," she replied quietly, her eyes dropping back down to her novel.

"Yes, I am quite aware," he hissed. He looked down hall in the direction of his daughter's bedroom where she was laying in her bed, having barely moved since Bella had placed her there the night before last. She hadn't even spoken, showered, or changed her clothes.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Edward, I really think we just need to give her time," Bella replied, her voice dropping even lower.

"Bella, I-"

"We have nothing _but time_, Edward. We know Jake will be back, and we can't do anything until he does. Believe me; I've been in her shoes. We can do everything in our power to 'repair' her and make it better, but the only thing that's going to fix it is Jake coming home. And if you will remember, that's not exactly what we need at the moment."

"No, we certainly do not need Jacob here. He needs to give her time and worry about his education for awhile."

"Do you think he will be able to though? I mean, being away from her isn't exactly easy for him. I was shocked he decided to go to college in the first place."

"You wouldn't if you knew what I knew."

"Edward, I thought you were going to try to stay out of his head?"

"I try...sometimes. But it's hard not to listen to him. It's like he's screaming at me sometimes. Especially when he thinks of his reasons for going to college."

"Well?" Bella asked softly.

"He thinks that our family will finally accept him if he has gone to college and will be able to make something of himself. He wants to be able to support her…" he trailed off, rubbing his neck while he gazed out the window.

Bella frowned. Her family had always made an effort to accept Jacob...well, most of her family. "I worry about the two of them as well," she admitted, looking up at him. He turned and met her worried gaze, and instantly felt bad for making her worry.

"Love, its okay...He just wants to be thought of as a suitable mate for her, and I can't say that I disagree. Besides, Jacob has barely ever been out of La Push. I know Washington State isn't exactly across the country, but every little bit helps I suppose. It will be good for him to get away for awhile."

Bella bit her lip, setting her book down beside her. "Are you sure? You will know better than I will what's going on with everyone."

"I thought him going away would all be okay - but even I have to admit that I underestimated the pull of this imprint business."

"I thought you wanted time?"

"I'm not sure that that's the best thing for right now."

"So what do we do? Let her stay here and suffer alone, in her own personal hell? Let her toss and turn in her bed to the tune of her own nightmares?" she asked.

"Are you making a personal reference here?" Edward asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying that I understand what she's going through, and I would like to avoid that for my daughter. I've been in her place, remember?"

Edward fumed silently, continuing to pace. He hated to even _think _about the time when he left Bella and fled to South America, and he hated it even more when it was brought up.

"I remember, yes, thank you ..."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just wanted you to remember that I know how she feels to some extent."

"Yes, I do realize that the two situations share some common traits."

"She can't stay in there forever and mope! She needs to eat something eventually! She'll be sick before long!"

"Well, what else can we do? We certainly can't make her hunt or force food down her throat."

"Nothing, I suppose...I just wish she would let me in there to talk to her! This is making me insane."

"I can see that," she said, only lifting her eyes to look at him. He cocked his head and gave her an exasperated look, his eyes bugging dramatically.

"Both of us have tried to speak to her, and she wants none of it. We need to step back and accept that we don't have an effect on her for once,"

"She needs to talk to someone. She's catatonic, Bella. What are we doing to do?"

"She needs to talk to someone and let it all out - it would be therapeutic."

"Well, we can't exactly send her to your 'normal' psychiatrist, talking about vampires and werewolves and imprints..." Edward said with a smirk.

"That's not what I was referring to. She just needs someone to talk to feel better. I always used to feel better about my teenage problems after I talked to someone."

"Well who would you suggest?"

"There are eight of us, Edward. If she won't speak with us, who do you think she'll talk to?"

Edward suddenly had an idea. As much as it pained him to admit, Renesmee clearly did not want to talk about her boy troubles with either one of them. One of the many traits she had acquired from both of her parents was her love and need of privacy.

Bella seemed to have the same idea. "Who's the one member of the family who would probably keep a secret for all eternity?" she asked wryly. She already knew the answer.

"And who would be understanding to a fault..." He finished. Just then, they heard a soft rapping on their cottage's front door. Edward was there in a flash, opening the door to see Esme, a very confused look on her heart-shaped face.

"Alice said you might want to see me?" She asked, looking at each of her children with concern on her face.

"I don't think we've ever needed you so much, Mom," Edward replied, pulling her off the front step and into a hug. Confused, she still hugged him back but gave Bella a questioning look.

"It's about Renesmee," he answered her thoughts out loud. "She won't talk to either one of us, and she hadn't come out of her room for over a day...and we're really starting to worry about her. Something...happened between her and Jake the other night, and she hasn't been herself since."

"Oh," Esme nodded. She knew when she was needed. Bella smiled at her woefully, and watched as her adopted mother gently tapped on Renesmee's door. She peeked inside, and got a silent beckoning from her grand-daughter to come in.

Edward and Bella looked at each other, their gazes saying the same thing.

_If this doesn't work, what will?_

Jacob stepped into the small, stuffy room and observed his living quarters for the next eight months. The walls were painted a horrid, muted beige color, and it reeked of cheap plastic and an old bed. The dorm he had been assigned to was the oldest dorm on campus – it had been built in the 1960s he had discovered with much chagrin.

The room itself was a long, narrow rectangular shape. A set of old, iron bunk beds was on one side of the room, and the other side was empty. Each side had a closet, and at the end of the room in the middle was a single large dresser with a mirror above it, a desk built into the wall on either side.

_Guess the dorms aren't much to brag about…_he thought to himself. His roommate wasn't there yet he realized with a little relief. He put one of his bags down on the bed he wanted and claimed a desk at the end of the room. Looking out his window, he noted that he could see the line of the forest that sat on the far edge of campus.

_At least I won't have to go far if I want to phase and go for a run…._

He immediately tried to shove that image out of his head for good. He had made a promise to himself that he wasn't at college to be an Alpha male were wolf. The problems of La Push needed to stay in La Push, along with his pack and vampires alike. College was not about the problems of his home life, and he wanted them to stay just that – at home. If they needed him, they would get a hold of him. He was at college for a reason – to get an education and graduate with a degree to support his future mate with.

He walked back out to his truck to pick up a few more boxes of his things – sheets, toiletries, and clothes. He had yet to get any school supplies, but he figured the book store would have them and he would pick him up later. Duty told him that he should be settling in and organizing everything for class tomorrow, but instead he lay down on his bed to think for a moment. Outside, he could hear the other boys on his floor unpacking and meeting each other, but he just didn't have the mind to do that right now. All he could think about was how much he missed Renesmee.

Closing his eyes, he tried to relish in the few minutes he had before his roommate arrived. Try as he may, he could not shake the image of Renesmee as he kissed her out of his head.

_This is going to be a really long semester…._

Renesmee heard a quiet knocking on her door. She frowned – she could tell by the tap and the scent that went with it that it wasn't her mother or father. A wave of apricot and vanilla mixed with French perfume hit her, and she smiled.

"Come in, Esme," she called softly. Esme poked her head in and grinned, delighted that she was granted entrance. She flitted to the bed where her granddaughter lay, and sat down.

Renesmee lifted her head and allowed her grandmother to place it on her lap. She was instantly soothed by the feeling of Esme gently stroking her head and playing with her curly ringlets. Her scent had always been especially calming to her – it was very fruity and sweet, and she had always associated it with her lovely grandmother.

Her vampire mind could remember the day she was born: Edward was busy watching over a changing Bella, Rosalie was busy arguing with Jacob, but grandmother Esme had gladly taken the time to take Renesmee into her large, marble bathroom and give her her first bath, complete with baby wash and a rubber ducky. Esme had sat perched on the side of the tub for hours, playing with her in the bubbles and the delightful squeaking duck. In a time full of worry and chaos, her grandmother had taken her away for it all for a very calming first bath while her mother burned upstairs.

Renesmee smiled for the first time in almost two days, and Esme looked down at her in question. She reached up and placed her hand on Esme's cheek, showing her the memory and her gratitude for it.

"You don't have to thank me dear! I was happy to get to have you all to myself for a few hours. I was so thrilled with the idea of having a baby in the house. I never thought I would get to hold a baby again," she said with a soft smile. She playfully pinched Renesmee's cheek, and the two of them laughed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the late afternoon sunbeams hit the hardwood floor, making it look like liquid honey.

"You know for a vampire, you sure can touch like a feather," Renesmee mumbled as her grandmother stroked her arm calmly.

"Years and years of practice," Esme replied with a wistful smile. "You'll have to have your grandpa tell you about all the fountain pens I used to ruin as a newborn who didn't know her strength! Half of my wardrobe had ink stains across the front before I figured out how to press just right!" she laughed.

"I can't picture you breaking anything," Renesmee admitted. "That must have been hard."

"It was, at first. I got very frustrated very often because I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't want to look silly in front of your father and grandfather. It was so strange to be around another man that could read my mind! But it takes getting used to. Our kind isn't good at dealing with new things. I got very frustrated very easily that first year."

"You did?"

"Of course. I wasn't used to having that much strength at my fingertips. You can ask Carlisle - I must have spent the first six months up in my little room crying about all of his possessions I destroyed unintentionally, and how Edward could read my mind. But I got used to it eventually – they were both very respectful of me And after that, I got used to it and spent the next six months having fun with it."

"I can't picture you a newborn, grandma."

Esme laughed, her soft caramel curls bouncing. "I couldn't either; that was the problem! I was so bad at being a human - so clumsy, frail...always falling out of trees," she replied, squeezing Renesmee's shoulders. "Carlisle didn't know what to do with me."

"He didn't?"

"No. At first I was just so mortified to be living improperly with two unmarried bachelors – the shame!" she giggled. "I wasn't used to that, especially living with Carlisle. I was mortified that your father could hear me thinking about him. Edward told me later that we would each sit up in our rooms at night, pining away for each other, hoping the other would understand us. It's laughable now; how confused we both were. He was a centuries old vampire who was still so used to being alone and looking after only himself. And me a scared little newborn who didn't even know what to do with herself."

"You must have been really scared, just waking up and not knowing what to think of everything.

"I was. It was very scary sometimes. I was mainly just scared of myself though."

"But you guys worked it out eventually, otherwise we wouldn't be here," Renesmee replied, turning to look up at her grandmother.

"Yes, you are right...but it took a lot of time. I was so used to being bad at everything, and I felt like being a vampire would only magnify my awkwardness. But your grandfather was very patient with me - very loving and kind, even when he had no reason to be. I was a stranger to him."

"Yeah but I can't exactly picture grandpa being mean to you, even if you did something to deserve it!"

Esme laughed. "True, very true. He doesn't have a mean bone in him, does he?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, that first year was difficult. But we got through it, with your father's help. We were both so scared and confused at the time; both afraid what the other would do to us. I wanted him to notice me and want to be with me, but I wanted it to happen naturally and not because I was a lust-ridden vampire. I was practically a stranger to him when he took me in and saved my life. But, with time, I realized that patience and understanding was what we both needed."

Renesmee rolled her eyes. "Gee, let me guess...this quaint little story is somehow to be applied to my own messed up life and the situation with Jaocb?"

Esme laughed again at her impatient granddaughter. "Yes, it is. Ness, I don't know what happened in the woods with Jacob-"

"Grandma, I-"

Esme held up a dainty hand, stopping her. "I don't need to know. It's not important," she replied.

Renesmee closed her mouth to listen to what Esme had to say. She knew that Esme would never try to intrude on her personal life, and this was no exception – it wasn't in her grandmother's nature to pry.

"What you need to know is that it's okay to feel what you're feeling right now. Just because you're a little confused right now doesn't mean that eventually things won't clear up and be alright. It's important to understand your feelings and embrace them. They're not right or wrong - they're _yours_. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I do. But grandma, he's gone. He left me...like he didn't even care at all."

"I know, honey, I know. I overheard your aunts and uncles talking last night…You and Jacob managed to cause quite a stir, if I do say so myself."

Renesmee shifted on the soft bed, her eyes stinging with the all too familiar sensation of oncoming tears.

"Now now, none of that," Esme said, stroking her cheek with her icy finger. Renesmee relished the familiar feeling of cold hands on her slightly warmer skin. She reached up again and showed her grandmother Jacob's face stern, frozen face the night before in the forest.

_She thinks he didn't think the kiss was a good idea after all, and that he doesn't see her like that…oh dear….I can't wait for this to all be resolved,_ Esme thought. She kept quiet though – she knew this was not her battle to take part in. Renesmee showed her another picture of Jacob, his hard face frowning at her for thinking the kiss was a good thing.

Esme's topaz eyes softened at the sight of Jacob standing before her, his face torn with confusion and fear for what he had done. Not that she could really blame him – she had been forced to live with Carlisle before she could have her feelings known to him, and it had been torture. She couldn't imagine Jacob going through that for nearly seven years. She turned her attention back to Renesmee, who was growing more and more distressed by the second.

"It's like..." she trailed off, the tears welling up in her eyes. She looked up at her grandmother, whose expression was pained as she watched Renesmee cry. "It's like there's a hole in my heart that had made and only he can fix."

Esme's dead heart broke for her.

"He was clearly a scared young boy, Ness. He must have not known what to do to face you properly. I can't say that I blame him - you can be an intimidating girl when you chose to be. He was scared."

"I know, but it hurts so bad Esme...what am I going to do without him? He hasn't even called me! We've never been like this before...everything has changed now and I hate it."

"As much as it's going to hurt, you're just going to have to be patient I'm afraid. Time will tell you what you're supposed to do."

Renesmee lifted her head and showed her tear-streaked face to her grandmother. The tears had been silently rolling down her cheeks for most of their conversation.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that time will fix it? Time isn't fixing anything. It's just making me hurt even more!"

Esme paused, considering her answer. "Yes, but would you rather go rushing through life, and risk missing something or doing the wrong thing without considering all of your thoughts and feelings?"

Renesmee thought about that for a moment, and her face softened. "No, I suppose not. But how much more time has to go by before I feel like myself again? I just want things back to normal with me and Jake. That's all I want; that's all I've ever wanted. He's my best friend grandma. I'm so lost without him."

"Now Nessie, don't tell me you're going to let a silly boy get you this upset," Esme replied, shaking her gently. Renesmee's face softened even more, and she let a giggle escape from her lips.

"Now with that said, I think you would benefit from going on a quick hunt with your old grandma," she said, a twinkle in her golden eyes.

"I think that would be quite nice," she replied, finally sitting up.

And she was right. Once she stood, she changed into fresh clothes and followed her grandmother silently out of the cottage. They ran for almost an hour outside of Forks, heading north when they caught the scent of a herd of elk. Normally Renesmee preferred carnivores - their taste was closer to human blood than animals that were herbivores - but she wasn't really in the mood to be more stealthy and quick. An easy meal suited her for now.

After she drained her kill, she sat back and watched her dainty grandmother take down a second elk, snapping its neck gracefully and quickly draining it. When finished, she looked up at Renesmee, wiping her mouth with a smile.

"Okay, _now _you look like a vampire grandma," she said with a laugh.

"Oh no!" Esme feigned horror, her hand against her cheek. The two of them giggled, standing up to leave. They disposed of their kills and Esme walked over to her, taking her shoulders and giving them a tight squeeze. She stayed silent for a moment, looking at her granddaughter.

"When will everything be okay grandma?"

"Soon, honey. Soon."

Renesmee touched her arm and looked up at the night sky, frowning slightly. She located the waning moon in the sky and signed. Somehow, she didn't feel like 'soon' was going to be soon enough.

"Race your granny home, won't you?" Esme said, a smile dancing on her pink lips.

"Always," Renesmee replied, before darting off into the night, Esme hot on her heels.

Jacob Black hadn't had trouble sleeping for almost a decade. Ever since he had begun phasing, he was able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat and sleep through just about anything. His roommate, however, had a different plan for him. Groaning, Jacob rolled off his bottom bunk and walked over to his desk, flipping his light on. Throwing an annoyed glance at his snoring roommate, he opened his Business Calculus book and began reading. If he was going to be awake, he might as well study. He was already behind in his first week for being so distracted thinking about Renesmee, it was almost impossible to concentrate.

He reached over and held his cell phone in his large hand, looking at it thoughtfully for a few moments. Checking his messages again, he saw that he had none. He wasn't sure what he expected by picking up his phone every few moments. Did he expect it to magically ring with Renesmee on the other line? Did he think that holding it would give him the courage to talk to her himself? He wasn't sure.

This was the longest they had gone without speaking - ever.

He was in complete misery. He checked his messages what felt like a thousand times a day, just to see nothing. Things had never been like this between them before - they had never fought or even had a squabble that lasted more than fifteen minutes. The dull ache in his chest was overpowering.

It felt like Renesmee was fighting her way out of the place she had in his heart with her razor sharp teeth. It was physical and emotional agony. He winced just thinking about how miserable he felt lately.

Two weeks ago, his biggest concern was being away from his imprint - they had never been apart for very long, and if they were, the distance was minimal. He had always joined the Cullens on family vacations to Canada and Isle Esme, and therefore had never had a reason to be away from her before.

Closing his eyes, he pictured their vacations to Isle Esme in his head. The family usually went once a year since Renesmee's birth; it was almost like a present to her. There she and the entire family were allowed to run around in the sun, glinting and gleaming like diamonds wearing bathing suits. It was a sight to see, and almost a little too strange for Jacob.

Except for her. Her skin simply glowed in the tropical sunlight, glimmering like starlight on water. The sunlight that far south was different that the sunlight in Washington – it was much stronger as it was close to the equator. There she simply _shone. _Her golden, coppery hair always seemed to glow and sparkle as well, matching her skin and happy brown eyes. They spent their days running around the island, swimming in the ocean or the lagoons, letting the sun warm their skin. She looked so beautiful frolicking with him on the tropical beach, the smell of the salty ocean and the coconut smelling air adding to the ambiance of the day.

His roommate's snores broke him from his pleasant reverie and he growled low in his throat. He had never shared a room with someone he didn't know before, and this whole 'roommate' thing wasn't too easy to get used to.

"Shut up!" he growled at the sleeping form on the top bunk.

_The kid sounds like he's operating a jack hammer for Christ's sake!_

He didn't mind his roommate during the day, for the most part. Mike was a nice enough guy - athletic and outgoing, somewhat cleanly in his habits. He and Jake had already gone to the gym to lift weights together several times already; Mike was convinced that Jacob was going to help him become his gargantuan size.

He tried to concentrate on the problems in the book, memorizing formulas for class tomorrow. Mike continued to make it difficult as he snored away loudly. Jacob cursed himself for not taking Edward up on his offer to pay for him to have a private apartment off campus. Jacob had grudgingly declined, accepting financial aid given to him by the school.

It was no secret that he and Billy didn't have a lot of money to flash around; Billy had been in a wheelchair and unable to work for years, and unfortunately the tendency to get a bit huffy and burst into a werewolf limited what kind of work Jacob could do. He and Billy had pooled together what little they had and purchased the shop in La Push. Mainly, Jacob had done it so that his wolf pack would have a steady place to work since they all had the same problem. With a degree, Jacob was hoping to secure something better for himself, and hopefully for his future with Renesmee.

It was a bit intimidating when the girl whose family you'd imprinted on likely had more money stashed away than a sultan. He looked back over at his snoring roommate, and then back at his calculus book that might as well have been written in Mandarin. Before phasing and taking a bit of a sabbatical from school, he had always actually done pretty well.

_I'm guessing that won't be the case this semester..._he thought. He leaned forward on his desk so that he could look out the window and look up at the moon. It gave him some comfort to think that somewhere in the dense forest outside of Forks; Renesmee was looking up at the same night time sky.

Renesmee entered through the back doors of the main Cullen house; she paused to listen to see who was home. She had arrived early for her daily lessons, which had resumed a few days after Jacob left. Her mother had suggested starting back up again to take her mind off of things. Renesmee had grudgingly agreed. She paused first to check her cell phone - zero messages. She felt her heart sink a little as she entered the quiet house.

Upstairs, she could hear Esme scrubbing her already spotless kitchen; Carlisle was in his office shuffling some papers around; and Rosalie was in her bathroom, working on her hair. The rest, she guessed, were still out on a hunt.

She made her way up the stairs to Rosalie's room, deciding that the chances of her aunt asking about Jacob and her personal life were slim. Carlisle and Esme were kind and understanding, but she had gotten more advice lately than she would care to admit.

She found Rosalie in her bathroom, perched on a stool in front of her vanity, combing out her freshly washed hair. Vampires did not necessarily need to shower or bath due to the fact that they had no bodily oils, yet it was still a pleasurable experience that the Cullen's used to feel human. Rosalie usually washed her hair every few days to make it extra shiny.

"Washing your hair again?" Renesmee teased, poking her head into the bathroom. Her aunt looked at her in the mirror, smirking. They both giggled, and she flitted to the counter to sit and watch her aunt roll her blonde curls.

"Why do you still do that?"Renesmee asked, referring to her aunt's early 40's style hair. Rosalie usually left her hair down to go with the current style when she went out in public; however, around home she would curl it and pin the front up in a retro, glam style.

"Emmett likes it...he says it reminds him of our time," she mused, adding another bobby pin to secure a curler.

"Oh."

"You don't like it?"

"No, not one bit," Renesmee teased her aunt. Rosalie stuck her tongue out at her with a laugh. The two had always shared a special relationship, as they should; Rosalie was one of the first people she could remember from her birth. Rosalie had taken her graciously from Edward while he tended to Bella, and had wrapped her in a warm blanket before giving her her first meal – human blood in a baby bottle. Renesmee pressed her hand on Rosalie's shoulder, showing her the memory.

"You called me a 'precious angel'!" Renesmee laughed.

"You come up here and tease me about when you were born and then my hair?" Rosalie asked, feigning hurt.

"It's lovely Rose."

"Thank you," she replied. She turned to the counter and took a cotton ball and began wiping her face with a fancy lotion. After she was finished, she started rubbing another expensive-looking lotion onto her marble skin.

Renesmee giggled again. "Rosalie, you're a vampire, can your skin even get any use out of all that junk?

"I'd certainly like to think so," she replied, admiring herself in wide mirrors of her vanity.

"You're so funny sometimes."

"It makes me feel pretty...besides, what else do I have to do?"

"Yeah, you do have a point," she admitted. She looked down at her feet that were bouncing as she sat on the counter.

"Speaking of time," Rosalie began. "How are you passing the time these days?"

"Not very well," she mumbled.

"Oh?"

"Yeah...I...guess I should put more focus on my studies..."

"Missing the mutt, are we?"

Renesmee looked up at her aunt in surprise. She had underestimated Rosalie.

"I suppose I am...I don't want to let myself feel angry and sad...but I miss him all the time Rosalie. I mean, he hasn't even called me."

"Yes, I guess it has been quiet around here without the dog," she replied.

"Yes...yes it has," Renesmee said quietly.

"You'd think I would have noticed that the house has been smelling much better!"

"Rose," Renesmee said sternly. Rosalie made a face, but her expression softened. She didn't really think that she would do anything to Jacob; she knew how much he meant to her.

"I can run to his little school and teach him a lesson if you'd like," Rosalie replied, looking at her in the mirror.

"No, Rose…that won't help I'm afraid. I just want to talk to him, but I can't make myself call-"

"Don't you dare call him!" Rosalie interjected firmly. She continued running her silver brush through the bottom layer of her long hair to finish her hairstyle and turned her nose up at herself in the mirror. Renesmee looked at her inquisitively and cocked her head to the side. She picked up a lock of her own hair and searched it for non-existent split ends.

"You let him come crawling back to you…or not at all," she finished.

"Rose, you know he's my best friend. I can't live without him around – it's bad enough he's at school, but the fact that I know he's at school and we're not speaking is killing me!"

"Would it really be that bad if he didn't come back? You really could forgive him for kissing you and then ditching you in the woods? If Emmett would have pulled that crap when we first started dating I would have made him pay…royally."

"We're not…dating, Rosalie….we're just…." Renesmee trailed off, "We're just….friends…"

"That kiss?" Rosalie asked her sharply. "Sure."

"What do you want me to do, Rosalie? I kissed my best friend and now everything is a mess!"

_I'm not going to let this stupid mutt get away with treating my niece like this…this is ridiculous. I'm taking matters into my own hands!_ Rosalie thought to herself.

"Ness, what if you're not supposed to kiss him? What if you're only supposed to be friends?"

Rosalie knew she was playing devil's advocate here, but she couldn't help herself. She was determined to give her niece some options if it killed her. _Well, figuratively_, she thought with a smirk.

Renesmee paused, fiddling with the lock of her own hair that she still held. She twisted the golden strand, watching it shimmer in the lights of the bathroom.

"Only friends?"

"Yes, Renesmee. Your feelings for him are changing, I can tell."

She looked down, embarrassed that she had behaving so transparently in front of everyone.

"It doesn't' take a mind reader to see that, Ness," Rosalie said softly, patting her knee. She pulled out some nail polish and began touching up her pedicure that Alice had given her.

"Well," she continued, "I think it's inevitable that you've developed some feelings for him. Of course you did! He's the only good looking guy that's around that's available to you, really."

"You think he's good looking?" Renesmee perked up.

_Oh, shit…_ Rosalie thought. Her golden eyes darted up to meet her nieces, and she gave her a crooked smile.

"He's decent enough, yes," Rosalie choked out, the nail polish brush in her fingers trembling slightly. "What I'm saying though, is that maybe you just have feelings for him because he's all you've ever known! What if there's someone else out there for you?"

Renesmee rolled her eyes. "Like who?"

"Like someone else, I don't' know! Stop obsessing over Jacob, you never know what's going to happen later on. No need to worry right now. You might meet someone else someday that completely sweeps you off your feet."

"I highly doubt that, Rose. How many guys would be able to handle…all this?" Renesmee asked, gesturing towards the two of them. "I'll be sure to have Alice let me know when that's going to happen."

"I'm just saying that you never know what could happen. There are lots of other vampires out there that we haven't met. Who says Jacob has to be the only person you could be attracted to? You could meet someone else who sweeps you off your feet and completely makes you forget Jacob even existed."

Renesmee snorted, her toes digging into the plush white rug on the bathroom floor. She glanced sideways at Rosalie skeptically.

"I doubt that," she said.

"Don't rule anything out, little girl. You never know what will make you happy unless you've been presented with all the options. We might get you over that dog yet!"

"And so can you tell me why the First Battle of Bull Run as so significant?

Renesmee shifted her weight at the antique table. Her vampire side of her mind should have been helping her that day to concentrate on her lessons; however, her thoughts kept drifting back to Jacob. The fact that he hadn't reached out to her yet was devastating. She probably checked her cell phone for new messages eight thousand times a day.

If she could run to his school right now and tell him she was sorry, she would. But 'sorry' just didn't seem like it would cover this type of situation. Yes, her vampire side of her mind should have been helping her today; however, her human side was definitely making her fidget today during Uncle Jasper's Civil War speech.

Normally, it made her very happy to sit and listen to many of his first-hand accounts of the war; however, today she was finding it extremely hard to concentrate.

"After that battle, the Union was known as The Army of North Virginia, and the Confederate army was known as The Army of the Potomac," Renesmee answered her voice hollow.

Jasper cocked his head and tried to read the emotion around his niece, but instead got nothing. When he didn't speak for a moment, she looked up from the table and met his eyes that were looking at her with question.

"Everything okay?"

"Mmmhmmm..." she answered, her eyes moving to look through the glass windows and into the forest.

Jasper inhaled loudly and pursed his lips. "Are we finished for the afternoon, Miss Renesmee?" he asked, a knowing smile dancing on his mouth. He could sense that she wanted nothing to do with today's lesson.

She looked at her uncle, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Jasper," she replied. "I'm having a hard time..."

"I can tell," he said with a smile. He flipped one of his personal journals closed and laid it down on the table.

"I'm having trouble concentrating today…I'm very sorry."

"Your mind is elsewhere, I can feel it. Everything okay?"

She nodded, looking back down at the table in front of her.

"Some other time then?"

"Of course."

She stood and left the dining room where they often had 'class' and walked through the house to the front door. Edward stopped playing his piano long enough to watch her mind-lessly leave, closing the door behind her almost soundlessly.

His eyes met Jasper's, who stood in the doorway of the dining room to look at him.

_I can't get anything from her, Edward. It's like she's not even there. Nothing at all..._

Edward closed his fists and sighed, turning back to his piano.

Once she was out of sight from her uncle and father, she glanced down at her cell phone. Jacob had been at school for almost a week now, and it had been the longest week of her life. She hadn't heard a peep from him.

The past week had been a blur of either her parents' cottage or the Cullen's main house, and both of them were starting to make her suffocate. She needed to get out of there.

She turned out the back doors and broke into a run towards the creek. In one bound, she flew across it, her bronze hair flying out behind her. She was going to find someone who might be able to give her some insight – someone she wasn't related to.

The scenery on the way to La Push seemed dull and lifeless as it blurred by, and she felt herself becoming more and more depressed as she realized it was because Jaocb was no longer there. Once she got to the border of the town, she slowed to a walk and peeked out behind a tree. The coast was clear.

She casually walked out of the tree line, making sure that no one had seen her mysteriously walk out of the dense forest. Jacob's shop was placed on the edge of town just by the trees for that specific reason.

Pushing through the front door of the stop, the bell dinged to notify the boys that someone was there. Her nostrils were immediately attacked with the scent of oil and mechanic grease from the cars, and the musky yet pleasant woodsy pine smell of her were wolf friends.

As soon as the ringing bell reverberated through the shop, a head of black, shaggy hair popped up from under the hood of a Toyota.

"I knew that was you!" Seth grinned, waving his wrench at her.

Renesmee laughed, walking over to where he was working. "And how did you know that?" she asked, plopping down on the creaky stool that sat next to the mechanic station.

"The hairs on my arms stood up!" he said with a laugh. She gave him a smirk and the two of them laughed. "Just because I'm like a brother to you doesn't mean my body doesn't react to having a little half vampire running around in the shop!"

"Sure, sure…"

He switched his wrench out for a mechanic's light, shining it first on the car and then with a laugh he shone it on her, causing her skin to subtly glimmer.

The two teens shared a laugh and she continued to twirl herself in the creaky chair as he worked.

"Soo…." Seth prodded, his dark eyes gleaming mischevioiusly at her.

"Sooo…what?" she asked, averting her eyes.

"You don't come all the way to La Push to sit in a stinky shop just so you can watch me work on an old car, that's for sure."

"Seth…"

"You're not foolin' me little girl!" he laughed. She watched as he shone the light around, inspecting his work under the Toyota's hood.

She rolled her eyes and decided that she wasn't going to get anything past Seth. Jacob's second in command was no dummy; he was almost as perceptive as Edward.

"Have you um…heard from…Jake?"

Seth looked at her sideways, his eyes glittering in the bright light of the car light. "I knew that's what you wanted to talk about, silly girl…" he muttered to himself. He shook his head and stood, promptly banging his head on the hood.

"Ow!"

"Don't bleed now," she jokingly warned. He snorted and rubbed his shaggy black hair. His cheeks turned a little pinker as he laughed at her.

"I know you want me do 'dish' about Jake, but I haven't heard from him," he replied with a smile.

She inhaled in frustration and bit her lip.

"You look like your mother when you do that," he mused. "She always used to bite that lip of hers when she was thinking."

"Still does!"

"Yeah…"

"So…?"

"I haven't heard from him, Ness. I did see what happened between you two though, and I'm sorry," he said.

"Yeah, me too. It was…an accident."

Seth looked up, hooking the light onto the hood and turned to face her, wiping off his greasy hands.

"An accident Ness? Really?" he asked. He knew he was under Alpha command to not tell her anything that Jake wouldn't want her to know, but this was nuts. He bit his tongue and listened, unsure of what she would say next.

"Well, yeah. I mean…I'm guessing you saw what happened. He said it was an accident and that it never should have happened. What do you think?"

He paused, his dark eyes darting to the ground, causing her frown to etch even deeper into her face.

"I think…." He began, leaning on the side of the car, "That you should listen to him. I think actions speak louder than words,"

"Stop being so cryptic! You're worse that my father," she huffed, crossing her arms. The chair squeaked as she moved in a half circle.

Seth chortled to himself, tossing the greasy rag down on the ground next to the rest of his tools.

"What I'm trying to say Ness, is that…did it feel like an accident? When you guys…did whatever you did?"

She smirked at him and made a face before thinking back to that night. "No…" she said slowly . "It…it was weird at first, kissing him. He's like a best friend to me, and…when we kissed…it didn't feel like I was kissing my best friend," she admitted quietly.

He picked another took back up and looked at her expectantly. "Well then, I think you just answered your own question," he replied softly, his dark eyes meeting hers.

Jacob walked through the sunny quad at WSU slowly that afternoon. He had been on campus for almost three weeks now, and he had yet to hear a peep from Renesmee.

Each night he had to fight himself tooth and nail not to drag himself back to Forks to sleep under her window. His spot underneath her windowsill was almost as comfortable to him as his own bed back at Billy's. It was almost embarrassing to admit to even himself that a plot of dirt under a vampire's window was calling to him.

Checking his cell phone again, he sighed. Nothing. Nothing, nothing, and more nothing. To say it was driving him slowly insane was an understatement.

_You upset her; she is the one waiting for YOU to call!_ His mind yelled at him.

Rolling his eyes, he kept walking down the sidewalk that lead to his next class. He needed to pick up the pace if he was going to make it here on time, not that it mattered. His teachers may as well have been speaking in sign language. He felt like he was listening to Charlie's Browns teacher – everything was warbled and didn't make any sense, even when he t_ried_ to concentrate on his lectures.

All he could think about was Renesmee and how much he was in love with her, and then his mind would wander to how she didn't love him. Next, his mind would move to ways he could make her pay attention to him and eventually fall in love with him…which made him think of all the ways the Cullens outshone anything he could ever do for her or give to her. That made him think of how important it was for him to get his degree so that he could provide for her…which let him back to not paying attention in class.

It was a rather tumultuous circle.

He was slowly driving himself crazy.

_No, she is the one driving you crazy. But you love it, you sadistic bastard..., _he thought to himself.

And he did. If anything, this past few weeks has taught him how truly sick and cruel of a joke imprinting really was. When he sat back and really thought about it, it was the irony of the situation that really killed him.

There he had been, begging, fighting, and clawing to have the last part of Bella's humanity and friendship, and he had gotten that in his Renesmee.

She had gotten what he thought were Bella's truest and most endearing human traits – her warm brown eyes, her blushes, her sarcasam, her restless sleeping habits. He had an excuse to be near his best friend, and to keep peace with the vampire family that had slowly wedged their way into his mangled heart after Bella's change and Renesmee's birth. Because as much as he had fought to not like the Cullens, they were almost as much family now as his wolf brothers. He didn't doubt for a second that Edward would fight beside him if he ever needed it, nor Bella. The irony of the whole situation was that he had gotten everything he had ever wanted, but it hadn't come without a tough price.

Truthfully, she could have extracted his heart herself with her granite fingernails and stomped on it on a pair of Alice's high heels - and probably still would have told her it was his fault that it hurt. It was like masochism, but in the sweetest of ways.

Suddenly, someone bumped against his arm as he walked; causing him to drop the books he was carrying.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" a female voice said.

"No, its okay, my fault," Jacob stammered, bending down to pick up the books.

"You alright?" the girl asked, bending down with him.

Jacob looked up at her face, squinting slightly from the sunlight. Above him stood a tall, perfectly toned, bright eyed girl with long, blonde hair.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about bumping into you," he said, picking up the last of his scattered papers.

"Oh...well...maybe I bumped into you," she said, giving him a smile. He smiled back tentatively, already feeling guilty for talking to this girl that wasn't his imprint. He knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, but he still couldn't help but feel…_guilty._

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that, I just...the sun, it's really bright," he stuttered again.

"Oh," she said, standing up. He stood up as well, looking at her still.

"I'm Carly," she said, jamming her hand into his.

"Jake," he said, shaking it slowly.

"Well, nice to meet you Jake. I'll see you around...next time, try not to lose it!" she said, gesturing at his books before she flounced away. Jake watched after her, dumbstruck.

_Her name is 'Carly'? God must me messing with me today, _he thought to himself.

He stomped towards class, cursing to himself. This was going to be a long day.

"Should we move her?"

"No, not yet...let her fall deeper asleep before we move her," Bella answered, quietly shutting off the TV.

They had finally coaxed their daughter out of her room long enough to watch a movie with them, and she had been so exhausted from lack of sleep lately that she had dosed off halfway through the show.

Edward stood across the room, silently marveling at his sleeping daughter.

"Her eyes are moving behind her eyelids," he said softly, smiling at Bella.

Bella looked over at her daughter, who was slumped against the arm of the couch, obviously in the middle of a dream. She touched the back of her hand to Renesmee's cheek, much like she used to do when she was baby.

"Dream, little girl...dream good dreams..."

And she did.

_This must be a dream...it's too nice not to be a dream..._

_She was running through the forest, side by side with Jacob, who was in wolf form as they frolicked. The green of the woods flashed by them as they ran, a wonderful collage of greens, yellows, and oranges, mixed with the blue of the sky above them. She intertwined her hand in Jake's fur as they darted along, his head turning to look at her with his deep brown eyes. _

_Suddenly, he phased on the fly and was running next to her, and his russet hand was linked with hers as they ran together. They found themselves in the beautiful meadow from her dreams once again. She was very relieved to find that it was still a sun-filled kaleidoscope of colors, full of life and promise. _

_They stopped running at the outer edge and slowly walked hand in hand to the middle where Jacob turned and faced her. _

_"Renesmee," he said, brushing a bronze curl out of her face as her hair blew in the breeze_

_"I'm here, Jake, I never want to leave you,"_

_"I never want to leave you either, I love you Renesmee," he replied, leaning closer. He kissed her deeply, letting their tongues lace together in a perfect dance. She ran her hands up his sun-kissed biceps, reveling in their heat. His mouth left a trail of feather-light kisses down her cheeks, neck, and behind her ear. With a quiet giggle, she grabbed his face again and made him place his lips on hers once more. Their kiss deepened and grew in passion as his hands found their way to weave themselves in her long hair. _

_So this is what heaven is like, she thought to herself as her heart swelled with a pleasant heat. _

_All the sudden, Jacob being ripped away from her. Her heart raced with anxiousness as he pulled away and began to fade. _

_"Jacob!" she screamed, reaching for him. He reached for her as well, but they were being pulled apart by some odd force that she couldn't see. _

_"Jake no!" her screams got louder as he continued to fade and disappear. Finally, he was gone and she was alone in the meadow, a cold and empty feeling nearly crushing her body. She fell to her knees to cry, and nearly gasped when she finally reached the ground._

_The ground beneath her knees was dry and dead; the flowers had all wilted; the grass was withered. Her meadow had disappeared and in its place was a desolate wasteland. A sob left her mouth as she felt her heart finally break._

_A noise along the edge of the clearing caught her ears and she whipped her head up, immediately looking for Jacob. Instead, her brown eyes were met with a pair of blood red ones._

With a quiet gasp, Bella pulled her daughters palm away from her cheek. She froze for a few moments, contemplating her daughter's dream that she had just watched. Renesmee frowned in her sleep, shifting to lay on her other side

Edward looked over at him from where he sat, watching the fire that burned in the fireplace.

"Feeling nostalgic, love?"

Bella shook her head, her panicked eyes lifting from Renesmee's face to meet his. He was referring to the times when they were new parents and a favorite hobby of theirs was to silently watch their little daughter's dreams at night. The entire family enjoyed watching her sleep; Bella was sure that they all took solace in watching her colorful, innocent, and cute adventures with Jacob and the rest of them while she slept.

This however, was different. Bella had just witnessed a nightmare.

"I thought we were giving her some privacy?" Edward mused, still not sure why his wife was so upset.

"She's so scared, Edward. She's...it's like she's dying inside...I...I..." Bella stammered.

_She's reliving my nightmares. She's trapped in her own personal hell;_ she let down her shield to let Edward hear her.

His eyes widened as he re-watched the dream of Renesmee's that his wife had just witnessed. He jumped up and flitted to her side, stroking his sleeping daughter's face.

"We have to do something Edward...we have to help her,"

"It's not fair of us to ask him to hurry home just to wait, love," he replied calmly.

"I know, but we have to help her somehow, I just...I can't let her live like this."

Suddenly, Edward had an idea. "Do you think a change of scenery would help? Maybe get her out of here for awhile, take her mind off things?"

Bella shrugged, still panicked by what she had seen. "I don't know, but we have to help her somehow!" she hissed.

Edward nodded, thinking for a moment. "I'll call Eleazar right away," he replied.

Bella looked up at him questioningly.

"What? What for?"

"She needs to get away from here….I can't stand to see her looking like this."

"What are you going to do with Eleazar?"

"We're sending her up to Denali."


	10. And when you're close

I watched the walls around me crumble  
But it's not like I won't build them up again  
I can't live without you  
Can't breathe without you I dream about you honestly  
Tell me that its over  
Because if the world is spinning and I'm still living  
It won't be right if we're not in it together

Over – Lindsay Lohan

**Chapter 8 **

Snow. Pine trees. Snow. Mountains. More snow.

The scenery of Southern Alaska flew by as she sat in the car, her brown eyes glazing over as the hours passed. She felt like she had been staring for hours.

Like clockwork, she picked up her silver cell phone and looked at the display.

_Zero messages...is he never going to call me or what?_ Sighing, she put the phone back in her pocket and looked out the window.

She jumped a little as she felt a familiar cold hand take her own.

"You'll like it up here, I promise," Alice reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze.

She nodded to her aunt in agreement, and continued to watch the scenery flash by. The drive to Denali had been a long one, even driving at vampire speed. Renesmee had decided to ride up with Alice, Rosalie, and Bella in the Porsche, and the boys had come in Carlisle's black Mercedes. Esme and Carlisle had decided to stay back in Forks to look after the house, and also not to disrupt Carlisle's work schedule.

"The Denali family has a beautiful house! I can't wait to show you Ness!" Rosalie gushed from the back seat.

"Fully stocked library too," Bella added.

"You'll love it up here, I just know it!"

"Can't wait," Renesmee mumbled, watching as the scenery became a deep green and white blur. There was snow _everywhere. _And where there wasn't snow, there was ice. And pine trees. And no Jacob.

"We'll go up to their house and explore and you won't even _think_ about that silly dog-"

"Rose!"

"Rosalie!" Alice and Bella both interjected. Three worried pairs of golden eyes flickered to Renesmee in the passenger seat.

"It's okay…" she muttered again. "You guys don't have to _not _talk about him. He's just at school, no big deal."

The three women shot nervous looks at each other in the mirrors of the car, and Renesmee sighed. She just wanted to get out of that god-forsaken car more than anything.

"There will be lots of new things waiting for us in Denali," Alice said quietly, looking at Renesmee out of the corner of her eye. She seemed to sense her niece's distress.

Renesmee frowned, and then pressed her palm against Alice's cheek to show her confusion from her comment.

"You'll just have to wait," Alice replied, shifting to a higher gear. Renesmee felt her head fall back against the back of her headrest as the little car moved even faster_._

Soon, the purr of the engine and the exhaustion from the last few weeks caught up with her and she was lulled to sleep.

* * *

"We're here!" Alice trilled, jolting Renesmee awake a few hours later. She excitedly bounced on the leather seats of her flashy car and batted her niece's arm with glee. Renesmee lifted up her head and blinked, trying to get used to her new surroundings. The bleak, boring landscape of the roadside had been replaced with the most beautiful forest she had ever seen.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," Bella said, reaching into the car to pull her daughter out. Renesmee wiped her eyes, blinking sleepily as she took in her surroundings.

"Already?"

The hillside that the house was built on hosted homes to countless trees and pines that were covered in snow and ice, every inch glittering in the sun. Instead of the snow-covered oblivion she had expected, this place was a beautiful, frozen wonderland.

Renesmee smiled at the sight of the sun hitting her mother's flawless, ivory face. The surfaces of her family's faces glittered and twinkled and were just a few shades off from the freshly fallen snow that coated everything around them.

"We could have _run_ faster,"Rosalie huffed, smoothing her hands over her red, fitted dress. She trounced out of the car and huffed, looking for Emmett so that she could lodge a formal complaint. The three remaining women watched after her and silently pitied Emmett for the lashing he was about to receive.

"We were in the car for almost nine hours!" Rosalie said to Emmett as he slammed the door shut and walked around to the front where the rest of them stood.

"Come on babe, calm down," he muttered, looking around as well.

"It wasn't' that bad!" Alice defended her driving.

"Little speedy in that thing, are we?" Emmett teased, playfully punching Alice in the arm.

"Wouldn't you be?" she asked, petting the front of her Porsche with a wink.

"Come on, let's go inside and get settled - I want to get my hands on a moose tonight!" Jasper said, rubbing his hands together.

"Tanya said they have a bear problem on St. Thomas Island!" Emmett said excitedly, slapping him on the shoulder.

"But you have to _swim_ to get there!" Rosalie said, flipping a golden curl behind her shoulder.

"Come on babe, it's worth it..." he replied, grabbing her hand. Renesmee smiled at her family, who was obviously excited about the new variety of wildlife available to them in Alaska.

"You guys sound like you're at a food court in a mall!" she joked.

Suddenly they were aware of another body outside the house, standing on the porch.

"Are my guests just going to stand outside and talk about food, or are they going to come inside and say hello to their extended family?"

"Carmen!" Bella exclaimed, racing to throw her arms around their hostess. The rest of the Cullen's walked up the impressive slate-stone walk to the stairs to meet Carmen.

Renesmee paused for a moment to look and admire the beauty that was Carmen. She had been one of the first vampires she had met besides her immediate family, and she had never forgotten how gorgeous the Spanish vampire was. Her dark, human skin had mixed with the creamy white of a vampire, providing her with a lovely, almost golden looking skin tone that was entirely her own. Her long, raven hair laid in waves down her back, and her golden eyes complimented them beautifully. Her burgundy lips stood out on her glimmering skin and made her look like an exotic princess.

"Ah, Nessie, come see your Auntie Carmen!" she welcomed, her pretty but thick Spanish accent cutting through the chilly air.

She grinned as she hugged Carmed, breathing in her familiar scent; it was like fresh rain mixed with the exotic flowers Renesmee had always thought would have grown in Southern Spain, where Carmen was from.

"Welcome to my home, _mi nina_!" she exclaimed, throwing one of her arms out as if to showcase her home.

Renesmee blinked several times and took in the Denali house. Well, log cabin or mansion covered it better.

_They must need a lot of room to roam!_ She communicated to Alice, pressing her hand to her aunt's arm. Alice gave her a small smile, and whispered, "Wait till you see the inside."

The Denali house was nestled into the side of the mountains, and was constructed entirely of logs and the slate-rock that made up many of the exposed rock faces in the nearby woods. It was surrounded by a large, snow-covered yard that was dotted with beautiful pine trees and rock gardens.

The house itself looked to be three stories tall, with wide windows in the tallest part of the 'A' frame that showed off the warmly lit inside. Lights glowed in all the windows, showing off the large, exposed log rooms; the entire house had a very open, warm look to it.

_Not really what I would have guessed for another vampire dwelling_… she thought to herself.

She had always been interested in reading vampire folklore and watching terribly misconstrued movies; the contrast of those creatures with what Renesmee knew real vampires to be like was exceedinglyhysterical to her. Vampires were always given large, dark mansions at the edge of town, surrounded by bats and creaky front gates. They always wore dark, out of date clothing, spoke with funny accents, and had fangs. Just thinking about the comparisons made her giggle to herself.

"Something amusing?" Bella asked, throwing her arm around her daughter as they walked in the house.

"No, mom, I'll tell you later," she said, looking at her mother. She could never imagine her gentle, loving mother being considered _scary_ looking to anyone. She hoped she never would.

Bella squeezed her hand as they walked into the main foyer of the house and set their bags down. They felt the house stir as Eleazar, Kate, and Tanya joined Carmen to welcome them.

"Welcome to our home!" Tanya said quickly, rushing up to Bella and Renesmee. Bella smiled warmly, and Edward appeared behind her suddenly, giving Tanya another smile.

Tanya returned their kind looks and moved so that Kate could hug them both hello.

Renesmee looked around the house in wonder. The foyer opened up into a large great room with an 'A' frame that reached three stories. A large deer antler chandelier hung in the middle of the great room, drawing the eye up. Above them were two different balconies; one each for the second and third floors. Almost the entire room was exposed log walls, and everything was decorated in inviting beiges, browns, and deep reds. With all the lights on, the whole house seemed to glow with friendly warmth.

"Your house is beautiful, Carmen," she said, hugging the woman tightly.

"Yes, we quite enjoy our little shack in the woods!" She said jokingly, gesturing towards the huge great room in front of them.

Carmen tossed her long, wavy black hair and pursed her red lips as she looked around excitedly. Renesmee thought of her as a louder, more flamboyant Spanish version of Esme. She beamed her white teeth excitedly as her guests made their way inside the house to get settled.

As everyone else said their hellos, Renesmee turned to look at Eleazar and instantly threw her arms around him as well, breathing in his delightful pine and vanilla bean scent. He smelled almost the same as Carlisle; she wasn't sure if that was why she liked him so much, or if it was because his eyes danced when he laughed.

"Ah Nessie, dear, you grow more and more beautiful every year! Not that that has been many years, but you get the idea," he said with a laugh. "Almost full grown, are we?"

"Isn't she lovely?" Rosalie mused, beaming proudly at her niece. Carmen nodded enthusiastically.

Renesmee felt her cheeks flush slightly as every pair of eyes in the room turned to look at her, and Bella stepped in.

"Almost, Eleazar. She's still our little girl for a little while longer," she said.

After all the greetings were shared, everyone made their way into the great room to sit on the large, fluffy beige couches.

_So where are these two vampires I keep hearing about? _She thought to herself, looking around the huge room. _Oh right, one of them left..._

"Once you're all settled, we must take you out to hunt!" Tanya replied. "I can't wait to show Nessie our Alaskan cuisine," she said to her with a wink.

"I can't wait; Alaska looks so pretty so far, Tanya. I'd love to explore more," she replied.

"Oh, we'll show you a good time," Carmen said. "We'll get your attentions off that silly boy!"

Renesmee's smile faded as everyone fell silent. _Jacob. Did my parents tell her? They must have, _she thought sadly.

"What did I say?" Carmen asked, her Spanish accent flourishing in the silence. Everyone gave her an incredulous look and Edward finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"We were all looking forward to getting away for awhile I think. I jumped at the idea to show Ness Alaska."

"Yes, we will give her a tour later," Eleazar replied, winking one of his golden eyes at her.

She wanted to ask about the new members of their family, but didn't want to seem like she was fishing for information. She had overhead Carlisle talking about Stefan and Damon once to Esme, and she knew that Kate and Tanya had hoped to find mates when they changed the boys.

However, Damon had been far too bloodthirsty and wild for Kate, and he had left only a few months after being changed. Stefan, the other, had only thought of Tanya as a sister as he got to know her; the attraction simply hadn't been there. Carlisle had compared it to what happened between Edward and Rosalie when she had been changed; the connection just was a different sort than they had all planned.

"Yes, well, the park on the other side of the river has an abundance of bears, moose, and wolves this time of year, so we should be set. Oh and strangely, large herds of walrus are migrating south for the winter, and are just off the Coast of St. Thomas Island. That's where our boy, Stefan, is right now," Eleazar said.

"Um, we will refrain from wolves, I'm afraid," Bella said meekly, looking at him.

"Oh yes, of course. No problem, there is a variety to chose from - we should all be fine,"

"Tell us about this Stefan, Eleazar. And what's up with his brother? Why'd be bail?" Emmett asked.

_Leave it to Emmett to be tactful,_ Renesmee thought, rolling her eyes.

"Ah, yes, our newest family members. Stefan is out hunting as we speak. He would have been home for your arrival, but didn't carry his cell phone with him as he knew he would be swimming. You came so quickly, we didn't have time to let him know you were on your way! I'm sure he regrets not being here to greet you," Carmen replied with a laugh.

"Swimming?" Renesmee asked curiously.

"Yes, he is on the island for the week, hunting walrus. He has a taste for seafood!" Carmen giggled.

"Damon, I'm afraid, is still gone," Eleazar replied sadly. "Stefan is confident he will return, but his unwillingness to adapt to our diet greatly upset both of them. I'm not holding my breath, so to speak, for his return, but we always have hope,"

"He'll be back," Emmett replied with a grin. "It's hard when you have trouble at first….He sounds like a good guy - hopefully he'll get it all sorted out eventually."

"Let's hope so," Kate said, patting Eleazar's shoulder. "We'd love to have him back."

Renesmee smiled at Kate sadly. To say that the pale faced, almost white blonde girl was a beauty was an understatement. Her tall, lean legs reminded her of the models she saw in her aunt Rosalie's fashion magazines – only Kate's beauty and grace would have made those girls green with envy. Kate seemed different to her now; quieter, almost…sad. She remembered that Kate and Garrett had been a wonderful match when they had met before the Volturi came, and she was very sad for her that he had eventually left to roam the planet again.

"Let us all hope for his speedy return," Edward said softly, looking at the Denali family.

"Yes but we must remember – we still have Stefan! He has made a wonderful addition to our family," Eleazar added.

"We can't wait for you to meet Stefan…all of you," Carmen said, winking at Renesmee. Once again, her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Carmen..." Edward said slowly, playfully waggling his finger at the Spanish woman. "No setting up my little girl now."

"I kid! I kid! _Es una chiste_!"

"Alright, alright," he said with a chuckle.

"_Ay_, what do you expect me to do all day up here? I see a seventeen year old boy, I see a seventeen year old girl, I make assumptions…_ay de mi_…." she laughed.

Edward stifled a laugh at his friend's feeble attempt to match up his daughter with her newest vampire family member.

He wrapped an arm protectively around his daughter and smiled into her chocolate brown eyes. "I just want some more time with my little Nessie,"

"_Edward_," Bella groaned at the use of Renesmee's nickname. She could tolerate the name now, but it still bugged her.

"Dad," Renesmee whined, pulling away. She felt herself blush slightly as every eye in the room returned to her.

"I'm sure everyone will like Stefan as much as we did the last time we were up here," Edward assured her with another wink.

* * *

A few hours later, the entire group decided to give in and let Carmen and the rest of the Denali's give them a 'tour' of the Alaskan countryside.

Renesmee smiled to herself as her family darted through the dark forest beside her. Her father tapped her on her left shoulder and then whirred around her right side and out in front of her.

"Hey!" she squealed, a burst of power from her legs shooting her out in front of him. He laughed and she paused, letting him glide in front again.

"Ay! Enough with your teasing, Edward!" Carmen trilled, laughing at them.

"You gonna take us all the way to St. Thomas Island?" Emmett called as he ran. The way he ran always made Renesmee giggle – he seemed to crash through the forest, yet he did it with the grace of a vampire.

"I'm not swimming, Emmett!" Rosalie called in the darkness.

"Oh, come on!" Alice yelled, bounding over a fallen tree and pirouetting in the air.

"Show off," Emmett mumbled, crashing through a group of baby spruces.

"We will show you the island later, _pobre cita!" _Carmen laughed, tugging a piece of Rosalie's hair as she ran up beside her. The frosty forest passed by in a blur as they raced through the pines and underbrush.

The two families glided to a halt when they reached a cliff overlooking the vast wilderness. The moon shone brightly and the stars seemed to shimmer like vampire skin in the sun.

"Oh!" Renesmee said, taking in the scenery. They stood on the edge, looking over the spacious land. Their enhanced vision combined with the height of the cliff allowed their eyes to see almost a hundred miles away even in the darkness.

"It's like the stars shine a little brighter up here, isn't it?" Alice asked, practically dancing up to squeeze Renesmee's shoulders. She nodded and grinned, taking in the sight before her.

"Have you been up here a lot?" Renesmee asked her.

Alice nodded. "Yes, we have. Jasper and I spent a lot of time up here when he was becoming accustomed to our 'diet'."

"You never told me that."

"Yes, well…he wasn't proud of it. But after killing on a whim for almost a century, it was harder for him to adjust to our eating habits. He couldn't be in a big city, full of tempting opportunities. He wanted to commit so badly to my way of life…and I didn't help that I had given him an ultimatum."

"You did what?"

"I did. I told him that if he couldn't stop killing, I wouldn't be with him. It wasn't that he wanted to, he just needed better motivation not to, you know?"

"Yes, I suppose," Renesmee said, glancing over at her Uncle Jasper. He was swinging from the large pines that lined the cliff with Edward and Emmett.

"He just...lacked purpose in general when we met. I had to give him something to live for. So shortly after we joined them, the family came up here for several months to give him some reprieve. It wasn't fair to have him hanging around a bunch of humans all the time. So we brought him up here to try things out. Introduce him to this cuisine of ours," Alice explained.

"Oh, that makes more sense," Renesmee said.

"Haven't you wondered why he keeps bugging me about the moose? That's Jasper's favorite. Well, besides humans," she laughed, the sound echoing off the rocks around them.

"I see," Renesmee laughed, looking over at her pixie-like aunt.

"Not everyone has the restraint of your mother!" Alice trilled, watching as Bella walked up to the two girls.

"Talking about me, are we?"

Renesmee laughed and shook her head. "No, Alice is just giving me a brief family history lesson," she replied.

"Ah," Bella mused, walking up to wrap her arms around her daughter. "Isn't it pretty?" Bella asked, squeezing her shoulders. "I always pretend like I was one of the early settlers in Alaska and that I'm the first person who has ever seen this sight," she admitted to her daughter with a giggle. Renesmee smiled at her, taking in the sight. She frowned as one thought crossed her mind.

_I wish Jacob was here with me…._

She had left her cell phone at home when it became apparent he was not going to be the one to call her.

_I'm going to have to be the one to call him and I know I just can't make myself do it…_

"Something wrong?" Bella asked, looking over at her daughter. The rest of the families were busy admiring the clear Alaska sky and enjoying each other's company.

She shook her head, fooling her mother. Bella walked a few yards away, finding Edward. He wrapped his arm around her tightly, resting his head against hers. Alice hopped on Jasper's back; he laughed and grasped her legs tightly. Rosalie slinked up next to Emmett, and he enveloped her in a big bear hug. Renesmee let out a quiet sigh as she watched the silent but clear admissions of love between her paired up family members.

_I don't think I've ever felt so alone. Jake, wherever you are, I hope you're at least thinking of me…._

After returning home from their tour of Alaska, Renesmee was actually a bit tired. They had run for a few hours, the clan showing them around the Denali National Forest and several good hunting spots where they frequented. Renesmee could run almost as fast as a full vampire, however, she did grow tired after several hours of running, where a full vampire would not.

Her family had gathered in the large great room to catch up, and Renesmee soon wandered away to take another look around the cabin. She found herself in the large, and of course, un-used kitchen, and was pleased to see that Carmen had gotten some food for her to eat. Although she enjoyed hunting and the taste of blood the best, sometimes it was nice for her to just be able to 'hunt' in a kitchen instead.

She hopped up on the counter to get a better look. Opening the cabinets, she saw lines of 'prop' food that were there just in case; mainly things that wouldn't spoil over a long span of time. She smiled, remembering how Esme always liked the aesthetic look of fresh fruit in the bowl on her counter top, but hated how it eventually went bad over time. Most of the time she kept food in the house that could last a long time, unless Jacob and his pack were around to eat.

"Find what you're looking for?" a velvety voice asked. Renesmee grinned as she continued to poke around in the cabinets with curiosity.

"Just looking around, dad," she said. "Why aren't you in the living room with everyone else?"

"Oh, I just wanted to come in and talk to you for a while, of course," he said, leaning on the counter beside her. "Carmen was in the great room thinking about the coffee pot she purchased for you so that you could have your morning coffee," he replied.

Renesmee closed the cabinet door and grinned. "She did?"

Edward nodded, and they heard Carmen laugh from the other room. "It's in the pantry!" she called. Renesmee laughed at her a little and hopped down off the counter she had been up on.

She fetched the coffee pot and sat it on the counter before opening the coffee can next to it. She sniffed it delicately, smiling to herself.

Edward laughed quietly. "You always manage to amuse me, Ness."

She made a face at him, but then couldn't resist laughing. "Why? I like coffee…don't pretend like you don't miss human food sometimes, dad," she said, holding out the coffee can at him. He sniffed it, shrugging his shoulders.

"Coffee doesn't smell too bad. I actually don't mind the smell of coffee, or even sweet things…candy…chocolate…things like that. But meat especially looks horrid. And cereal with milk on it, and things like Jello. I've seen more Jello in school cafeterias than I would ever care to. You mother wanted to see me eat once when she was human during lunch at school. I ate pizza. Terrible," he replied, cringing.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "You do anything mom wants you to," she said. "I don't think I've ever heard you tell her no in my entire life!"

"Didn't used to be that way. She used to get very upset with me when I didn't do as she pleased. She was like…well I always used to compare her to a frustrated kitten. She was so cute," he said.

"And now?"

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Still cute. But very dangerous."

She giggled again, setting the coffee can down on the counter. "You're ridiculous," she laughed. She could always count on her father to amuse _her_ as well.

* * *

Later that evening after everyone had been re-acquainted, Renesmee decided to explore the huge, looming log-cabin-mansion as she had decided to call it. Everyone but Eleazar and Rose had decided to go for a quick hunt after their 'tour', but Renesmee wasn't hungry quite yet and decided to look around.

She walked up the wooden staircase, her granite fingers moving delicately over the rough snarls and curls of the wooden railing. Up she walked until she was on the 2nd floor. She found several bedrooms and a study, and of course, the un-used bathrooms.

_I bet Kate and Tanya have used the beds with their human men a time or two!_ She thought to herself with a giggle.

Wandering up to the third floor, she found a few more bedrooms, and a small alcove with a window seat that overlooked the forest. Looking out, she saw the nearly-full moon casting a warm, silver glow on the pine trees below. The beauty of Alaska was awe-inspiring to her.

She was about to turn to go back down the steps, but the room at the end of the hall caught her eye. Walking down, she noticed that the door was only half-closed, so she quietly poked her head in the see what was there.

_This room has a masculine smell to it...leather, cinnamon, and...Pine? Everyone here has a slight pine smell to them - must be the trees!_ She thought with a giggle.

Walking in, she noticed a large, black leather couch, covered with books and papers, which were also strewn all about the floor. A few rough sketches covered the walls - they were mainly of forest scenes and animals. An entire book case on one wall held row after row of CDs, and a guitar was tucked into the corner.

She continued to look around, her fingers tracing the shelves as she explored its contents. She picked up a worn copy of 'Great Expectations' and thumbed through it absently.

"Find something interesting?" Rosalie's voice almost made her jump out of her skin.

"God, Rose! You scared the crap out of me!" she yelled, turning around in a flash.

"Usually people only jump when they're up to something..." Rosalie said with a smirk, walking into the room.

"How did you sneak up on me?" Renesmee asked, setting the book back down on the desk.

"I've had to practice it over the years to catch Emmett doing things he shouldn't be," she replied.

A thick veil of silence covered the modern yet cozy room, and try as she might to avoid it, Renesmee could feel a blush creeping up into her cheeks.

"Okay fine!" She hissed at her aunt.

"Why Nessie, whatever are you upset about?" Rosalie teased, running her finger along a row of CDs. She picked up a hat that was on the back of the door and placed it on her golden head, raising an eyebrow at her niece.

"I should get out of here, I was snooping," she finally admitted with another hiss. Rosalie laughed an almost cackle of delight at catching her niece snooping in another vampire's room.

"Snooping for what?"

"I don't know...I was just exploring, really."

Rosalie lifted her nose slightly to sniff the air, and frowned. "A scent I don't recognize...must be the new one."

"The new vampire?"

"Well duh. Curious, are we?"

Renesmee fumed. She had definitely been caught. "Maybe, maybe not. I was just wandering around the house, no big deal."

"I see…" Rosalie replied, removing the hat from her head. She glanced sideways at her niece as she continued to look around the room.

"I wonder what he's like...I guess we'll find out soon," she replied, looking around the room.

"We will?"

"Yeah, Carmen said she was pretty sure he was swimming back from St. Thomas Island tonight."

"Why would you swim to an island to hunt?"

"Beats me. Why does Emmett enjoy running all the way to Canada once a week to find black bears? Men do stupid things, Renesmee, and the sooner you realize that they're all idiots you will thank me,"

"Tell me about it," she mumbled.

"Please tell me you are NOT thinking about Jacob."

"What if I was?" Renesmee asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, we're on vacation! Forget that mangy mutt for a few weeks and live a little!" Rosalie chirped, grabbing her hand to drag her from the room.

"Rose..."

Rosalie gave her a knowing smile. "You'll be fine, Ness. Just try to ease up a little bit while we're here, okay?"

"Okay, okay..." She muttered once they were standing in the hallway.

"I thought you might like to join me for a hunt?"

"I'd _love_ to," Renesmee said, still slightly shaken from being caught. She was willing to take any excuse to get out of the house that she could get. With that, Rosalie took her hand and they flew down the steps and out of the house into the darkness.

* * *

"Alright, we'll I've studied for this about as much as I'm going to, I think," Mike said, closing his business law book.

Jacob nodded, closing his as well. He set the book on the dresser and heaved a sigh. There was no way he was ready for this test. He and his roommate, Mike, had attempted to study together for the one class they shared, and it had become painfully obvious just how far behind Jacob was with his studies.

"You need me to set the alarm?" He asked.

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, seven. I'm gonna try to cram before the test at 9."

"Alright. 'Night."

"Night," Jacob replied as Mike climbed up in his bunk to go to sleep. He turned off his desk lamp and looked out the window above his desk. The dark tree line of the seemingly serene forest seemed to beckon him. He really didn't have time for a run; he should stay in his room and study. Instead, he opened the window and hoped that the smell of the crisp night air would help ease his suffering. His joints ached with the want and need to phase and run with uninhabited speed.

He raised his eyes at Mike, who had begun snoring away in his bunk, and he quietly stood in the dark dorm room and reached for the door. Several minutes later, he was at the tree line that had called to him and he was ready to go.

Jake looked to the left and right, making sure he hadn't been followed. Lifting his nose to the air, his senses were able to confirm this. He found some bushes, stripped down, and carefully tied his clothes to his leg before phasing. Mike was in their room, sleeping like a baby, and he needed some time alone anyway. He hadn't phased in almost three weeks, and his body was aching for a run...a _real_ run. He was also curious to check on things in Forks...

He hadn't spoken to Renesmee since that night; he wanted to call her very badly, but knew that if he did, he would want to run back to Forks right away to find her and kiss her again.

_And maybe more..._

For a week, the kiss they had shared after the bonfire had haunted him. He had thought that when he imprinted on Renesmee while she was still in Bella's womb had nearly made him crazy. The feeling of his center of gravity being clipped away and re-attached to her had been the most earth-shattering experience he'd ever had. Until that kiss.

He knew it had been a bad idea when he suggested it, but he couldn't help himself. He knew that something big had changed when he saw the look on her face as she watched Embry and his imprint kiss. The ache in his chest doubled when he had pulled away from her and lied, saying that it was an accident.

That had been the most boldfaced lie he had told in his entire life.

To say the kiss haunted him was an understatement of grand proportions. It was all he could think about and it consumed his every thought to the point of making him crazy with happiness. That is, until he came back to reality and remembered what had happened next. He kicked himself every day for tarnishing their first real kiss together by letting his promise to Edward get in the way.

It was hard for him to explain, even to himself really. The change had happened so slowly that it had become invisible to both of them.

Renesmee had always been beautiful, fun to be around, and perfect to him, as she still was. Only now, it was in a different way.

One day, he had noticed the way her hair fell in ringlets that perfectly framed her pale but lovely face; her body had changed into a more womanly physique; they no longer talked about dolls and shopping with Alice and her desperation for a training bra, (and yes she _had _discussed this when she was around age nine with Jacob). Instead they began to like the same music and movies; they spent long hours hunting, running, and gazing at the stars like they always had, but now they talked about their thoughts, feelings, and the meaning of this life they had been given to live.

Their entire relationship had shifted in a matter of a few months, and he didn't know what to think. He had always thought of her as a little sister, one he was bound to protect and obey her every wish and command. He had always known that she was his imprint; but when it came time for their relationship to change he had found himself terribly unprepared. That is, if there even _was _a way to prepare for this sort of thing.

Slowly, they had begun to do things together that they both really liked, and as they grew closer in age, their relationship had changed. Jacob knew from hearing his pack mates talk how imprinting worked. He knew that he would shift from big brother, to best friend, to boyfriend, to mate. However, hearing something like that was a lot different than actually experiencing it.

**(flashback)**

_Jacob rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time as he lifted the cup to his lips to take a 'sip' of tea. Alice growled low under her breath at him and he sat up in his little chair straighter, forcing a smile onto his face. Jasper looked at her and sent a wave of calm over the group to even things out, but Alice still didn't let up on the glaring. _

"_Jake, how do you like your tea? More?" Renesmee asked, holding up her play tea pot. _

_  
"Nessie, I don't think a werewolf likes-AHH!" he stopped short as Alice delivered a swift kick to his knees from under the pink plastic table. She eyed him evilly and another low growl resonated in her throat._

"_I would love more tea, Nessie!" he exclaimed, holding up his pink, flowered cup to Renesmee to fill with imaginary tea. He was sitting in the Cullen's backyard with an almost two-year-old Renesmee, who appeared to be about the size of a six year old. Alice, Jasper, and Jacob had all been invited to Renesmee's tea party in the yard on the sunny, later summer afternoon. _

_Jasper had recently told Renesmee about some of his memories of his mother and sisters having afternoon tea in the summers as part of their southern belle traditions. Renesmee has gleefully researched more about tea parties on the internet and had arranged to have one immediately. _

_Jasper had agreed to attend as a good uncle would, more for the opportunity to teach his niece a part of his Southern manners. Alice had agreed for any excuse to attend a party because, well, she was Alice and would gladly accept any opportunity to dress up. Jacob had been invited by Renesmee and because she was his imprint he could not refuse to come and drink her imaginary tea. _

"_She could have at least had real tea," Jacob grumbled, lifting the cup to his mouth to 'drink' it. Jasper chuckled from behind his own cup full of 'tea' and glanced sideways at Alice, who was perched on her toy chair, laughing with Renesmee and sparkling in the afternoon sun. _

"_Jake, it IS real tea!" Renesmee huffed, lifting her tea pot to 'pour' him some more. He smiled at her, ruffling her copper curls as she squealed with delight. He poked her side where he knew she was ticklish and she jumped as she giggled, the tea pot flying from her little hands. She quickly pulled a piece of his long hair and caught it before it hit the ground. He looked at her and grinned, a full belly laugh rumbling from his mouth. She never ceased to amuse him – ever._

"_Just drink your tea and be a polite guest!" Alice hissed, raising her glass to her mouth. _

"_Any excuse to go to a party," Jacob teased her, moving his legs so that she couldn't kick him again. _

"_I've never been to a real tea party before, no," Alice admitted, adjusting the gloves she had placed on her white hands to match her tiffany-colored party dress. _

"_Maybe because you don't drink real tea?" Jacob suggested, taunting her._

"_I could drink real tea if I wanted to!" She pouted, frowning across the table at him. _

"_Suuure, sure," he said, shaking his head. Alice wrinkled her nose at him and bared her teeth as Jacob glared at her. He looked over at Renesmee, who was arranging the flowers she had picked for the center of the table. He ruffled her hair again and sighed. _

"_The things I do for you, kid," he said with a laugh. Renesmee stuck out her tongue at him and darted away before he could reach her. _

"_Jacob, you're not supposed to ruffle the hostess's hair!" Renesmee scolded from across the table, shaking a little finger at him. _

"_Okay, Okay," he said, raising his glass to 'drink'. Their hostess poured each of them more tea and the three of them took more imaginary sips, trying their best to look pleased to be in attendance. _

_Jacob grumbled, stuffing another handful of the real cookies into his mouth. It pacified him a little to at least be able to eat real cookies while at an imaginary tea party. _

_He watched his imprint flit around the toy table that he had hauled out to the middle of the yard, serving her 'guests' and making up conversations about the weather and things going on around her. She looked so cute dancing around and laughing with her family, her long bronze hair shimmering in the sunlight, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement._

_Jacob smiled as the beams of warm sunlight made her ivory skin glow and twinkle, almost like a peal or the petal of a flower. He looked over at Alice and Jasper as they sparkled and shone, the light from their skin bouncing off the shiny plastic as if it was a creepy warning to all around them. 'Don't mess with me – I'm dangerous' their skin seemed to shout. _

_Jasper looked up at him, sensing the feelings of wariness and apprehension rolling off of him. Jacob locked eyes with what he felt was the most dangerous vampire in the Cullen family; Jasper's fighting skills and skin full of crescent battle scars had always made him stand on edge around the old vampire. His golden eyes were always darting around quickly, his body a statue of stone that could kill at any second. Jacob had heard many stories from Emmett and Alice about Jasper's days in the south of fighting and slaying newborns with next to no mercy. _

_Jacob was very secure in his fighting skills but he had every intention of always maintaining a peaceful relationship with every Cullen or family friend he ever came in contact with, but he knew better than to cross Japer for any reason. His eyes stayed locked on Jasper for a few moments as time stood still, the two of them frozen while Jacob knew Jasper was reading his emotional waves. Suddenly, Jasper did the unexpected. _

_Raising his pink tea cup towards Jacob, he clinked his cup to the rim of Jacob's and smiled, his white teeth catching the sunlight. _

"_It's a lovely day for Miss Renesmee's tea party, wouldn't you say? We'd better drink up before our hostess thinks us impolite for not drinkin' her tea!" he said, laughter dancing around his southern accent as a he spoke. He winked at Jacob and pretended to take large sip of Renesmee's imaginary tea. He then quickly began to fold his cloth napkin into a bird to show his niece. _

_Jacob exhaled loudly, shaking his head as a smile formed on his lips. No, he didn't think he would ever get used to hanging out with vampires. But he would do it – for her. _

"_Now you're sure you can control yourself?" he asked, killing the engine to his truck. He looked over at his imprint, a five year old Renesmee. Her body now resembled that of a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, and she was acting like just that – a teenager. _

"_Yes, Jake, now come on!" she begged, bouncing on the seat. _

"_If your father ever found out that I did this with you, he'd kill me…" Jacob grumbled, finally opening the truck door. Renesmee followed suit, hopping out of his beat up truck. He watched carefully as she looked around the parking lot in wonder, pinching her lips together with her teeth. She arranged her hair just right and gripped the handles of her purse, her brown eyes darting around to take in the scenery. _

"_You ready or not?" He asked, looking at her sideways. _

_Renesmee snorted and shook her hair as the flounced out in front of him. "Yes, I'm ready. It's just the mall," she said casually, walking up to the doors. He darted up before her and pulled the door open, smiling at her as she walked through. "Ladies first!" he whispered loudly, letting her pass. She hissed at him quietly, but still walked through. He laughed loudly, reveling in her embarrassment. _

_He hadn't wanted to take Renesmee to the mall for the first time – she had plenty of practice being around people, but never this many people. She had been around Charlie and Sue, and a few other humans for various events and parties, but she had never been out to the one place a teenage girl really wanted to go – the mall. _

"_So tell me, why are we here again?" he asked, catching up with her. She looked at him incredulously and he backed away slightly. _

"_What?"_

"_I don't want it to look like you're here with me!" she hissed again, looking around her with wide eyes. _

_He walked up even closer to her and chuckled to himself as her brown eyes grew even larger, just as Bella's would have in a time of embarrassment. _

"_Jake! Ulgh!" she groaned, stopping and pulling him to the side. His eyes widened in alert as he looked around, planning escape routes._

_  
"What, are you thirsty? Are you going to be okay? We can get out of here…" he said, trying to keep his voice down. She froze, looking at him in disbelief. _

"_NO!" she said quickly, patting his arm. She showed him how in control she was – in fact, thirst was the last thing on her mind. _

"_You wanted to come here to meet boys?" he asked in amazement, his voice louder. _

_  
"Shhh!!!!" she hissed, swatting at his arm. He stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans, rolling his eyes. _

"_Good lord, Renesmee Carlie Cullen…" he mumbled, turning in a circle. He looked at her like she was nuts. _

"_What?" she challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. _

"_You dragged me to the mall so that you could meet guys? Do I even have to list off the reasons why this is a horrible idea?!" he asked, pulling her into the hallway where the restrooms were. _

_Making sure they were alone, she looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Jake…please…please stay here with me. I'm scared. And really nervous. I've never even talked to a guy my age before, and-"_

_And what age would that be?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. She gave him a look of despair, placing her hands on his neck to silently beg him to stay with her. He looked at her chocolate, pleading eyes and was instantly powerless to the wishes of his imprint. _

_Good thing she doesn't know she's my imprint and that I have to do whatever she wants…I'm in enough trouble NOW when she DOESN'T know yet, he thought to himself. _

_He heaved a sigh and looked down at her, fumbling with the zipper on his hoodie. "I guess I can stay here with you for a little while," he grumbled._

_Renesmee's face lit up as she began to jump up and down, just a little too high for a human teenager. He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. _

"_You might want to focus on acting a little more…uh…normal, though," he said quietly, giving her a knowing look. She nodded quickly, and proceeded to drag him back to the food court to assist with her boy hunt. _

_They ambled around the mall once, Renesmee a few steps away from him, making him laugh. As if anyone would believe they were there together. He was an old man and she was…well…five. Or thirteen. Depending on what species you were. _

_He pursed his lips and thought about how old he was. He was technically about seventeen and a half when he had begun phasing and stopped aging. Renesmee was five years old now, so that would have realistically made him twenty two, almost twenty three. However, the Quileute magic that bound him to his lifestyle kept him looking like a normal, healthy, seventeen year old boy. He didn't look any older, but he sure felt older. _

_They ended up back at the food court, and Jacob finally was tired of their charade of walking the mall 'separately'. _

"_You like sour stuff, right?" he asked, walking up beside her. She looked at him strangely, but nodded still. He led her to the Slurpee counter and ordered two blue raspberry slurpees, one for him and one for her. He handed it to her and she took a long pull out of the red straw, a look of delight crossing her face. _

"_See?" He asked, taking a gulp of his own. _

"_That's really good!" She said, looking back at the counter with a smile. "What is it?"_

"_Just a drink. It's sour and sweet, so I figured you'd enjoy it," he replied, grinning at her. _

_Renesmee ate some human food, although it wasn't without trouble. Any food that was particularly bland in taste was difficult for her to eat because as she had 'showed' them before, it was like chewing tasteless cardboard in her mouth. The little girl had always preferred foods with lots of taste and/or sugar, as those were the foods that her pallet recognized. Most of the Cullens did not remember eating food, much less food that tasted good to them, so it was always up to Jacob to try to convince her to try new foods she might enjoy. _

_A group of teenage boys walked in front of them, interrupting him from his reverie. They all three glanced at his imprint, and he could hear their hearts speed up a bit when she gave them a shy smile. _

"_What was that?" he asked, looking back at them after they had passed. He looked back at Renesmee, who was still blushing slightly from the attention. _

"_Boys, Jake!" She whispered, looking back at them. Glancing around the food court, she spotted an empty table. _

"_Go sit over there so guys think I'm here alone!" she pleaded with him. _

_Jacob's mouth fell open. "What?" he asked. "You want me to go sit alone and watch these teenage miscreants drool over you?!"_

_She turned to face him, people bustling around them. "Yes," she answered firmly, her hands showing him her desperation to mingle with people her own age. _

_Jacob gritted his teeth and growled low in his throat as the pleading command from his imprint registered within him. He knew she could hear his growl as his feet obeyed her, taking him to the table to sit…like a dog. _

_He pulled out the chair and plopped down, surveying the crowd at the mall on that Saturday afternoon. He eyed Renesmee as she stood casually by a map of the mall, thoughtfully chewing on her slurpee straw. She pretended to scroll through her cell phone as she stood, setting her bait. Jacob watched as the first group of boys to notice her circled back and began to approach her. _

"_I'm listening," he said in a low voice, knowing she could hear. Her eyes flickered towards him for a moment before returning to the map of the mall. _

_He tried to drink his slurpee and appear nonchalant as he watched the three boys ask for her name and shamelessly flirt with his imprint._

"_So, what's your name?" the blonde boy asked her._

"_Carlie," she smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth at him. _

"_Wow, that's cute," he replied, looking at his friends. They all smiled back at her, entranced with her perfect features and silky, chime-like voice. She blinked at them, her thick lashes brushing the tops of her perfectly flushed, round cheeks. Jacob rolled his eyes and continued to glare as they made conversation with her. _

_After a few minutes, one of them noticed him staring at them with a murderous glare. _

"_Who's that guy you're here with?" one of them asked in a low voice. _

_Renesmee's eyes darted up to meet Jacob's, her thrumming heartbeat picking up speed. She calmed herself quickly and smiled again. _

"_That's my big brother, Jake," she said giving Jacob a small wave from across the food court. Jacob raised one of his huge arms to give them a wave back, the serious expression not slipping even a little bit from his face. The three boys all did double takes at his size, and tried to resume talking. _

"_So, uh…where do you go to school?" one asked._

"_Oh, I'm home schooled," she said quickly, brushing a lock of hair behind her shoulders. Jacob growled as the boy's eyes trailed down her body, stopping on her chest. His heartbeat thrummed quickly as he felt his anger start to rise like a thermometer. _

_He stood quickly, trying his best to appear normal, and strode over to her. _

_  
"Hey, Carlie, we'd better be getting home. __**Dad**__ wouldn't want us to be late…" he said, eying her. _

_The smile faded from her lips as she looked at him, unsure of what to do. "Oh, uh…okay…Jake…we can go," she stuttered, looking at the three boys. _

"_Oh, you have to go? Can I get your cell number? Maybe we could all go see a movie or something sometime," one of the boys said. _

_Jacob interjected quickly. "Oh, you know how __**Dad**__ hates it when boys call you…he gets so mad; he's likely to rip their heads off!" Jacob laughed, smacking one of them on the back. He gave Renesmee a pointed look as she fiddled with her purse handles again. _

"_Yeah, I'd better go…it was nice meeting you all!" she said quickly before Jake practically dragged her out of the mall. _

"_Jake!" she hissed once they were out in the parking lot. She climbed into his truck and slumped down against the door. _

"_Ness, those guys were morons! They just wanted to get in your…well…they…weren't…good," he finished, looking over at her sadly. He hadn't meant to ruin her day at the mall, but he couldn't take it anymore. She twisted the straw to her slurpee, a glum expression on her pretty features. _

"_It's okay…I know I'm not normal," she said sadly._

"_We'll come back to the mall again sometime, would that make you happy? Maybe now that you know there's no problem, Alice can bring you. She'd love that!" he said, trying to cheer her up._

"_Why can't you come with me again?" she asked, looking up at him as he started the truck. Jacob bit his lip, thinking for a moment. _

"_It's just hard for me to watch guys hit on my little Nessie," he admitted, pulling out of the mall. He looked over at her; suddenly very sorry for the way he had acted. It just felt entirely wrong and even a little disgusting to witness boys acting like that towards his Nessie – flirting and carrying on like that. She was a little girl for crying out loud! His disgust for watching boys act like that towards her left a sour taste in his mouth and made his anger hard to mask. _

_He felt bad for her- he really did. Renesmee had been completely sheltered her entire life. She had never been allowed to have many friends or go to school due to her rapid ageing, she had never really been out in large crowds of people, and she really hadn't had many of the experiences that she wished she could have. He suddenly felt horrible for making her first mall experience a bad one. _

"_Yes, Ness, I'll take you back to the mall. How's next Saturday sound?"_

_She looked up from her lap and grinned at him excitedly. "That sounds really cool. Thanks Jake," she said, reaching over to show him her gratitude with her palm. _

Jacob smiled at the memories of a time when he had viewed little Nessie as just that – little. She had always been like a precious, happy little sister to him until just recently. He couldn't have looked at her 'like that' if he tried. It was hard to explain, and even harder to justify in his own head.

He inhaled the cold air into his lungs sharply as his flesh ripped away from his body and burst into fur. Hitting the ground, he began to run as fast as he could, letting the exhilarating speed calm his senses. It wasn't long before he had some much needed company.

Soon, Seth's voice greeted him.

_Jake! Gosh it's so good to hear you man!_

_Thanks Seth. How is everything?_

_Good, just doing my patrol, about ready to turn things over to Quil._

_That's cool. Why is Quil doing the morning shift?_

_Claire is back in school again and he wants something to do while she's there. _

_Ah, I see. So how is La Push? Shop doing okay? I haven't had time to talk to my dad._

_Yeah, Billy is good. But you know Billy; even if it wasn't he wouldn't say anything. He's more of the 'suffer in silence' type._

_Yeah yeah...I knew he'd call if he needed me._

_So how's school, Jake? Is it awesome?_

Jacob winced painfully to himself at Seth's enthusiasm. Seth was no doubt one of the smartest kids Jacob had ever met - well, non vampire kids - and it was painfully obvious that he wanted to follow in Jake's footsteps and go to college as well. However, Jacob was learning that it wasn't easy for a werewolf to go to college. He decided to be honest in his assessment for Seth.

_Yeah, it's alright. My roommate is snoring so loud that I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to._

_That blows. Well it's good to hear you for a bit...we've missed you Jake. The other guys wouldn't say it, but I know they do._

_Thanks Seth, I appreciate it. Hey, can I ask you something?_

_Shoot. _

_How is...Nessie? Have you seen her?_

_No, haven't you talked to her? _Seth asked.

_No, not exactly... _Jake answered sadly. He concentrated and showed Seth what had happened between the two of them several weeks earlier.

_Wow, man that sucks..._

_Tell me about it. _

_So you haven't had the balls to call her yet, huh?_

_Seth, I might be a few hundred miles away, but I will still come back to La Push and kick your ass, son._

_Sorry, sorry...But this is imprinting stuff man, it's not something you want to really mess around with._

_Duh._

_How are you feeling? It can't be good to not be around your imprint, especially not speaking._

_Terrible. I can't concentrate on anything, and I constantly have this headache, not to mention an ache in my chest..._

_Yeah, that's what I've heard. Separation anxiety man!_

_Yeah yeah...so...have you seen her? I would know if anything bad happened to her, but...how is she doing? _Jacob asked.

_Nessie?  
_

_Who else? _

_Well, she's not here,_ Seth replied slowly. __

What do you mean 'not here'??? Where the hell is she?!

_I went to the house to visit the other day and I only smelled Esme there...Carlisle must have been at work. I ran by again the other day and still only those two. Did they go on some vacation or something?_ Seth asked.

_You're asking me?!_

_Sorry, sorry. I'll run by in a few minutes and see if anything has changed. _

_Thanks Seth...I appreciate it. Crap, where could they have gone? _

_I dunno Jake...we'll figure this out. Try not to stress too much, okay?_

_Yeah, I'll do my best...thanks again, Seth._

* * *

As promised, Rosalie took her out to explore the forest and hunt some Alaskan animals.

"The others went this way to hunt, let's head in this direction first," Rosalie said, darting through the dark woods. As she had smelled, the rest of the Cullen's soon appeared, their hunt finished and on their way back to the house.

"Rose! Nessie! So glad to see you taking advantage of our fine Alaskan dining!" Carmen said, giving the two women a smile.

"Yes, I dragged Nessie out to explore more than anything," Rose replied. "Find anything of interest dear?" she asked Emmett, whole golden eyes were practically glowing in the night.

"Yeah...I might have found a family of bears," he said, his booming laugh echoing off the trees. "And Tanya is gonna show me where I can find some polar bears, it should be pretty sweet."

"Super," Rosalie muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Have fun girls," Alice said, giving Renesmee a wink. Renesmee started, looking at her aunt. The knowing look she was giving her made her think she had maybe seen a glimpse of what was going to happen. However, she didn't get a chance to retort.

"Just don't keep my baby girl out past her bedtime, it's already late!" Bella said, kissing her daughter on the forehead.

"Thanks mom," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Enjoy," Edward said, taking Bella's hand. And with that, the rest of the Cullens and Denali's ran back to the house for the evening.

"Shall we?"

"We shall," Renesmee replied, breaking into a run once again. The two of them continued to run through the snow-covered, dark forest further and further, taking a mental survey of the smells around them. Renesmee wasn't particularly thirsty, but she still wanted to get an idea of what there was to hunt here anyway. She hadn't really hunted since Jacob had left - it was an activity that they usually did together and she just didn't have the heart to go alone anymore.

She saw Jacob's face almost everywhere she went. She had come to Alaska to get a break from Forks, where everything and every place had a memory of him, yet even here things reminded her of him. As she ran, she found herself imagining a reddish brown wolf running beside her in the moonlight.

"Smell anything appetizing?" Rosalie asked, breaking her trance.

"Um, I think I smelled something interesting back by that stream, I'm gonna go check it out," she said.

"Just don't go far!" Rosalie called.

Renesmee dashed off into the woods, reveling in the time alone. It felt like ages since she had been alone with herself and her thoughts, and she was going to enjoy it. Ever since Jacob had left and she had had her meltdown, her family had been keeping a close watch on her - even closer than usual.

She ran back in the direction of the small river they had leaped across, where she had caught an unfamiliar scent of an animal she had never smelled before. Quickly, she found it and stopped, lifting her nose to the air to get her bearings. Whatever she had smelled was gone, and she didn't particularly care to chase it. Tonight's outing was more for exploration than anything, like Rose had said earlier.

The full moon hit the snowy banks of the river and bounced off, giving the forest a lovely silver and blue glow to match the diamond-like sky above her. She took a deep breath and inhaled the crisp, clean air of the wilderness, enjoying being so far away from everything and everyone. Rosalie was usually a quick feeder, but she decided to take advantage of her time alone and purposefully fell backwards into a snow bank to look at the stars.

Her senses told her that it was probably quite cold out - the snow should be stinging her skin with chill by now, but her vampire side kept her body temperature quite comfortable. Her mind began to drift to Jake, and she immediately scolded herself. Rosalie was right - she had come up to Alaska for a vacation, and thinking about Jake did not qualify as proper vacation etiquette.

As she lay there in the snow, a strange feeling suddenly came over her. She didn't panic, for it wasn't a dangerous feeling necessarily. Seven years of living with vampires had taught her to trust her senses. Sitting up, her brown eyes searched the forest around her, looking for signs of an attack, but saw none. To be safe, she flung herself up from her sitting position into a defensive crouch, just to show watching eyes that she could be ready if needed. Lifting her nose to the air, she sniffed, but didn't smell anything off.

_Strange...I could have sworn I felt someone watching me! _

She shivered to herself as she relaxed her muscles and began to amble along the river. The dream had come to her twice - both times, she was alone in the meadow that Jake had taken her to in her amazingly good dream; only this time it was dead and dry with winter. Both times she had seen a pair of vampire red eyes looking at her from the edges of the clearing before she awoke with a start.

Deciding that she had lingered there long enough, she began to pick up her pace and continued on her way. Traveling upstream, she found that the trees began to grow more and more sparser, and eventually she found herself in a meadow. It wasn't as big or glorious as the one in her dream had been, but it was a stark contrast to the previously dense forest. The pure, untouched snow glittered under the moonlight, and she finally felt at peace for the first time in a few weeks.

Suddenly, another scent hit her nose as the wind shifted slightly. The pines around the edges of the clearing began to rustle in the breeze, sending the smell to her nostrils as she inhaled. Turning her head, she was shocked to see a pair of eyes looking at her from the edge of the meadow, a few hundred yards away.

Her breath caught in her throat at the shock of someone else being up here, catching her. She was sure she was alone. A wave of terror swept through her; it was the scent of a vampire, without a doubt, and although she was strong in her fighting abilities, she was not as strong as a real vampire would be. However, the vampire made no attempt to attack her, at least not yet.

_Well, if he was going to attack me, he likely would have already done so. Just because it's out here doesn't mean it's aggressive...._she thought to herself.

The eyes stood still, unblinking in the night - whoever it was wasn't all the way visible to her yet. She cocked her head to the side, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"You know, I _can_ see you," she said clearly but softly.

There was an audible pause in the chilly night air for a few moments as time stood still. She breathed, her breath emulating small puffs of cloud-like shapes into the black night. Her body was frozen but her heartbeat thrummed wildly.

The figure stepped further into the moonlight, allowing her to see that it was a male vampire; tall but muscular. His tousled, light brown hair shone in the moonlight, and she was relieved to see that his eyes glowed golden topaz - not crimson like in her nightmares.

"Then my eyes deceive me?" he asked softly, continuing to walk forward.

"I don't know, do they?" She asked, her heart still racing. He walked slowly, but confidently towards her, his feet making almost no sound on the snow. His calm demeanor helped slow her thrumming heart, as she realized he could definitely hear and observe her excitement with his vampire senses.

He smiled shyly, and continued to approach her. "You had me confused, I have to admit. The speed and tracking skills of a vampire, yet a heartbeat and a human's brown eyes."

"I suppose you could say that I got the best of both worlds," she replied, trying her best to calm down as he finally reached her.

He gave her another shy, yet friendly smile and stopped a few feet from her. "I should have realized what I was seeing much faster than I did....a girl with a human mother and a father...well, someone like me."

She smirked at him as he danced around the word '_vampire_.'

"You can say it...I know what I am," she said slowly, looking at him curiously.

His breathtaking face broke into a large smile, exposing his rows of perfect, white teeth. His pleasant, leather and cinnamon scent danced on her nose, as it was wound perfectly with traces of pine that all the Denali vampires seemed to have.

"Vampire," he said softly again, raising his eyes to meet hers. She was shocked to see that his golden eyes held a slight tinge of _green_ around the irises, and it contrasted with his shiny light brown hair perfectly. He was tall, as she had seen, but muscular - a very similar build to Jasper. His high, perfectly sculpted cheekbones gave him a refined look, but his warm eyes invited her to look at their beauty.

_He's gorgeous..._

"Yes," she replied. "How did you know about me?"

"My family has told me about you before, and I met your parents a few weeks ago. I apologize for spying, but I haven't seen anything like you in my short life. I should have introduced myself earlier," he said sheepishly. He reached out a hand and held it in front of her, and she glanced down at it cautiously before accepting it.

"Nice to meet you, Renesmee. I'm Stefan."


	11. I feel like coming undone

_Interesting sense of style  
Ten million dollar smile  
Think I can't handle that  
Animal in the sack  
His eyes see right to my soul  
I surrender self-control  
Catch me looking again  
Falling right into my plan_

_Radar – Britney Spears_

~*~

**Please check out my update schedule that I have put on top of my profile. It will give you an up to date synopsis on what I am working on and when you can expect a story update. **

Heeere's another update! We have started doing shorter chapters now, fyi. It makes them easier to write, easier to beta, and hopefully easier to read.

Much thanks to my beta, **Rain-It-Shall** for her awesome work and for getting us an update again so soon! She's a saint 0=)

We get to see Nessie's first intriguing conversation with Stefan, and I hope you all enjoy it ! Just a reminder: **You do not have to be a fan of the Vampire Diaries to enjoy this story. There is no Elena, No Katherine, and no plot lines from the show or the books. **I only used a certain pair of brothers in this story because I needed two very different, yet appealing 'other' options for the plot. I just picked them because they were easy for me to picture. And besides…if there are going to be two more vampires added to the story, they might as well be **damn sexy** ones as that!

Enjoy!

Chapter 9

* * *

"Stefan?" she echoed, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Yes, I live with the Denali coven, your friends. I assume you'll be staying with us?" He asked, hopefully. Renesmee felt herself start to flush as his pretty gold and green eyes looked at her expectantly. He smiled, giving her a patient look as he glanced down at their hands which were still intertwined. Realizing she was holding it longer than was normal, she dropped it quickly and tried to snap out of it.

_Great, I'm a seventeen-year-old half vampire with raging hormones and a grouchy werewolf best friend, and now I'm vacationing in a house with a hunky vampire that should be a Calvin Klein model...super._

Her mouth dropped open a little as she tried to gather her words, and then she closed it promptly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her strangely. His topaz eyes were rimmed with an emerald green ring, and they seemed to glitter as they caught the moonlight that was bouncing off the white snow.

"Oh, yeah..um...you just startled me, is all. I was out hunting with my Aunt Rose, and I probably wandered further away from her than I should have is all."

"I really didn't meant to scare you, I apologize...I meant no harm, I was just curious," he said quickly, holding his hands up. "I was on my way back from hunting and heard something out here that didn't exactly sound like a moose or a bear," he said.

She laughed nervously. "No, I'm certainly not a moose!" she exclaimed, wringing her hands together behind her back.

They both paused at her strange proclamation, Renesmee wincing in embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah…" she stammered, her cheeks flushing even more.

"Well, all the same, I hope I didn't startle you."

"No, it's fine...Um...I'm used to it, I guess...by now," she said with a nervous laugh. "That's what I get, living with vampires." She watched as he ran a hand through his messy, tousled hair.

_Just like Jake does…wait, no! I shouldn't be thinking about him right now…._she thought to herself, shifting in her place nervously.

"I'm still getting used to it all, I'm afraid," he said with a laugh, his eyes dancing. "I'm a little shaky with some of it sometimes. I'm still not quite used to the speed…I still kinda move too fast when I'm not concentrating."

"Yeah, comes with the territory," Renesmee said. "I used to do that all the time when I was little. You'll get used to it – just takes a lot of practice."

"So I'm learning. I don't know if anyone told you, but I haven't been like this for very long, and I'm still getting used to things," he replied.

"That's alright. My mother was a newborn at the same time I was!" She giggled. He laughed with her, and they both seemed to relax a little. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her body when they had discovered each other was starting to wear off and she began to calm down. Her thrumming heart slowed, and he looked up at her thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning her head.

"Oh, I…It's been so long since I've heard a heartbeat," he said finally.

"Do you not go places where humans are?"

"I try not to. I test myself occasionally, but I don't want to get too close. Eleazar thinks I would be fine, but I don't want to make that discovery the bad way," he replied.

She dug at the snow on the ground with her toe and smiled. "My mom was the same way."

"Oh yes, Bella."

"That's her."

"I met them when there were up visiting a few weeks ago."

"That's what they said. So you're kind of a newborn?"

"Kind of…I'm almost 'two'," he said making quotes in the air with his fingers. "It's been a long two years…a lot to get used to."

"Oh, well that's understandable. I've never met a new vampire before, besides my mom."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I guess I haven't been a vampire-well, a half vampire - for very long. I'll be seven next month."

"I know - Carmen speaks of you often."

"She does?"

"Yes, she told me about meeting you and your gift...and also the battle soon after."

"Wasn't really much of a battle, thanks to my mom and all her friends," Renesmee replied, drawing a circle in the crunchy snow with her foot.

"I must say that I enjoyed meeting your mother when she and Edward were here a few weeks ago, but I look forward to meeting the rest; your whole family sounds fascinating."

"They are," she replied, feeling herself begin to smile. She was beginning to see why the Denali family had teased her about him - Stefan was polite and charming; so far he was hard _not_ to like.

"Your parents talked about you a lot - you were all we heard about for two days."

"Nothing bad I hope?"

"Oh no, of course not. They just said that they were extremely lucky to have you."

"I guess...my kind isn't especially common," she said with a slight blush. Blood flowed to her cheeks and stayed there, flushing her with a bright, rosy pink color. She glanced up at him to see if he would have trouble resisting the blood coursing quickly through her veins. He smiled faintly at her; he had definitely noticed.

"Sorry," she said, pointing shyly to her cheeks.

"It's okay – I can get used to it," he said, smiling at her diffidently.

"Okay..." she trailed off, biting her lip. She wasn't sure what to say after that. The only sound around them was the quiet forest.

"Well I assume the rest of your family is back at the house?" he asked, looking back in the direction of the Denali house.

"Yes, we just arrived several hours ago, and everyone was out hunting for awhile. I was just kinda exploring really," she said.

"You weren't thirsty?" he asked, an incredulous look on his face. She noted the way his eyes lit up when he was surprised, his face highlighted by his sculpted cheekbones and full lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she was caught in his golden and green-eyed stare.

She shook her head. "No, not especially. I don't get thirsty as much as a full vampire would. I usually feed half as much - besides, my family loves to cook!"

"Ah yes, human food...I must admit it is one of the things that I miss the most - besides sleep."

"I think a lot of your kind feels that way."

"Yes, well...I've been learning to deal with that - that and the thirst. I still don't really enjoy killing anything, but I do enjoy the chase."

"How could you not? I think we all do!" Renesmee said with a laugh.

Her eyes caught his, and she gave him a perplexed look.

"Something wrong?" he asked, noticing her pause.

"No, I...um..." she trailed off, feeling silly for getting caught staring. _Great, Renesmee, now you're staring at him and making an ass out of yourself._

"It's just that...do your eyes have _green _in them?"

"Oh, yeah, they do. Eleazar think's it's a result of a mainly marine diet," he replied, looking down shyly. Renesmee was quickly beginning to find his shyness an endearing trait.

"Marine?"

"Yeah, you know...animals that mainly live in the water. I developed a taste for walrus and seals after being in the water so much."

"You like to swim a lot?"

"Yeah...especially up here. The water is peaceful, and clean...and Eleazar thinks it's my gift."

"Really? You have a gift?"

"We think so. I'm still working on it. I can sort of...manipulate water, and I can use it to make me faster. I can swim almost as fast as I can run."

"Wow, that's incredible! So you're like an earth mover? I've met one of those before - my friend Benjamin. It's an amazing talent he has."

Stefan laughed, digging his hands into his pockets. "Well, it's not exactly like that. I haven't figured out how to make it really _move _a whole lot if I'm not physically in it, but I'm still learning."

"That's amazing - vampires with gifts are rare, you know," she said.

"Your family seems rather gifted though," he pointed out.

"Yes, they are," she replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked behind her and smiled. "Speaking of my family..."

Stefan braced himself as a golden streak came flying across the meadow to stop right in front of him. Rosalie sniffed him carefully with a stern face before jumping back to stand beside Renesmee once she recognized who it was.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her golden eyes wide. "I'm sorry...I should have recognized your scent earlier!"

"You knew my scent?" he asked, his eyes darting between the two of them. Renesmee shot Rosalie a look of panic as she pressed her palm discretely to her arm.

_Crap! He's going to know we were snooping in his room!_

Rosalie came to the rescue quickly. "Well, as soon as we came into the house we came across _someone's _scent that we didn't know, so we followed it up to your room and, wouldn't you know, it was yours!" She laughed, flashing him a killer smile. Brushing her golden hair behind her shoulder and giving Renesmee a sly smile.

"Oh, naturally. I'm sorry, I just haven't had that much experience with other vampires yet...I'm slightly new, you'll have to forgive me," he said.

"Oh, no harm! You'll learn soon enough! Everyone is new at one point, are they not?" Rosalie continued to charm him. It was working. Stefan relaxed, smiling wider as she batted her long eyelashes at him.

"Yes, I suppose we are. Well, I haven't been back to the house for almost a week - I've been hunting. Shall we return?"

"Yes, we wouldn't want them to worry! Nessie's parents tend to keep a close watch on her," Rosalie said with another million dollar smile. "She's too important not to!"

She was doing her best to dazzle Stefan for some reason. Leave it to Rosalie to know how to charm _anything _male.

"They'd be silly not to," Stefan said shyly, smiling at Renesmee. She couldn't help but smile back at him and his pretty eyes.

The three of them dashed off into the forest towards the Denali coven's home, Rosalie leading the way. Renesmee caught herself looking over at Stefan several times, admiring the way his lean frame embraced his natural speed and grace.

However, even with his shining, perfectly tousled hair, yellow gold eyes, and beautiful shy smile, she still found her thoughts wandering back to La Push and a certain black haired, dark brown eyed boy who would probably be expecting her to come home to him eventually.

* * *

Jacob wasted no time once he finished speaking to Seth. It was a Thursday night, and he had classes tomorrow at eight. School be damned, he was going home to La Push.

He took a moment in the woods to get his sense of direction, and leaped into a run straight home towards Renesmee.

It took him several hours to make the run, but he knew that studying, sleeping, _surviving _would all be impossible until he spoke to his imprint again. This time, he was going to risk his neck and tell her the truth - Edward and Bella would just have to deal with it. If they locked Renesmee in a tower and kept her away from him until she was officially seven years old, that was fine with him. She would know that she was his imprint and that he loved her - forever.

Wolves did not tire easily; they were designed to run for miles and miles at top speed with enough energy left over to battle a vampire or two. Tonight, however, Jacob was starting to feel the exhaustion after this particular run. When he finally approached the Cullen house, a quick sniff of the air made him nervous. He _couldn't smell Nessie at all._ Not even an old trail. If she wasn't home, then she hadn't been for over a week. He felt his heart continue to splinter in two.

He quickly phased in the bushes on the far side of the driveway before running up to the house. His clothes has come untied from his leg on the way, but he hadn't cared enough to turn around and get them, and now he stood on the front porch stark naked, doing his best to cover himself with his hands. Carlisle, who had heard his approach, walked up to the clear glass door with an amused look on his face.

"Can I...help...you, Jacob?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, I need to talk to Nessie. Where the hell is she?!" he asked, looking around Carlisle into the house. He only saw a very confused looking Esme, who was trying not to look at _all _of him.

"She's...in Denali, with everyone else. Didn't she tell you?" He asked, gesturing for Jacob to come in.

"Esme?" He asked his wife, who disappeared for a few moments before returning with a new pair of sweatpants for Jacob.

Jacob offered her a strained smile before accepting them. Esme had gone to a Wal-Mart and stocked up on plain, black sweat pants for the wolf pack whenever they accidentally destroyed their own clothes. She had done it out of kindness and for Renesmee; she didn't think it was exactly good to have a bunch of naked teenagers walking around her granddaughter.

"Thanks, Esme," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied, averting her eyes again as he clumsily pulled them on.

"So she's in Denali? As in _Alaska_?"

"Well, yes," Carlisle said, looking uncomfortable. "Forgive me, Jacob, but we were unaware that you really didn't know that the family took a vacation. We were not keeping it from you intentionally."

"No, Doc, I know. I just...we haven't exactly been speaking since the night before I left and...It's making me crazy."

"Crazy?" Esme echoed, looking at him questioningly. "Can werewolves go crazy?"

"I didn't think so, no," he said, throwing up his hands. He sat on the bottom step of the entry way with a thud. Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look and then walked over to stand in front of him.

"Jacob, she was really upset after you left...I think that whatever happened between you two caused something to...change in Renesmee. Her parents only wanted her to have an escape, she'll be home eventually," Esme said.

Jacob growled gutturally in his throat before heaving a sigh. It was then he realized that it was his own utter stupidity that had sent his imprint running for the hills – literally.

"I know...because the same thing happened to me, Esme. We kissed. A real kiss," he said softly.

She looked at Carlisle again with surprise but said nothing.

"It was so...wrong of me to do. And I know that. I realize that I went against her dad, but...I've been respectful for so long, and I would never put her in danger, but he has to keep in mind....I was frozen as a seventeen year old guy! I would think if anyone understood, it'd be him!"

"He does understand, Jacob...and I think that's why he's so worried. He knows what kind of thoughts you are having because he has had them himself," Carlisle replied.

"I know but...it's not fair. Here I am, this seventeen year old guy who hasn't gotten _any_ action in years, and I mean _any_...which is fine, don't get me wrong. I know I was waiting for my soul mate in Nessie. But he has to understand, I'm seventeen and my sixteen and a half year old future mate is being dangled in front of me day after day. He growls at me if I even have ONE thought that isn't purely gentlemanly!!!!" Jacob unloaded on the two vampires in front of him.

He continued. "I can't act like a monk forever…if Victorian style Eddy can't understand that, then he can just go to hell for all I care!" he said, his voice ringing out in the large entryway of the Cullen house.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look; neither one of them really knew what to say.

"Jacob, you bring up a good point," Esme said. "But I have to ask...why have you not brought this up to Edward? Maybe he would understand if you presented it to him like you just did to us."

Jacob buried his head in his hands and growled again. Esme frowned, looking up at Carlisle as if to say, '_Okay, your turn.'_

"Son, I understand the feelings you are having. It has to be extremely frustrating to not be able to be with the one you love. I understand that, Jacob. But you need to talk to her, and you need to talk to Edward. Sort this all out. It pains us all to see the two of you at such odds when this could all be resolved. And soon," Carlisle said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Why don't you give her a few days to relax up there in Denali, sort out her thoughts, and then call her? It couldn't hurt," Esme said, giving him a warm smile.

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" he asked softly, his brown eyes full of pain. Esme's heart broke for him. She gave him a sympathetic look as she leaned down to put her hands on her knees.

"If you listen to her and are patient, Jacob, it couldn't hurt to at least try. I'm willing to bet she will want to talk to you," Esme said. "You two are bound together – did you ever think that maybe she is suffering as much as you are?"

He shrugged. "I hope she isn't…I wouldn't want anyone to feel this way," he admitted.

"Why don't you try to call her first before you lose all hope?" Esme asked softly, turning her head to look at him in question. Jacob looked up at her heart-shaped face and sympathetic eyes and began to feel better. Not great, but better.

He thanked them, turned, and left, carefully removing his pants and securing them tightly around his ankle this time. It would not be good to walk into his college dorm stark naked.

He knew he should return to school as soon as possible, but he felt like he at least owed his pack a quick visit. He guessed that most of them would be at the shop or in the apartment they had built above the garage.

'The Apartment' as they had dubbed it, was basically one large room that they had dry walled and separated into four small bedrooms with one large main room that was their living space. Quil, Seth, Colin, and Brady all lived there, but sometimes the younger pack members stayed there when they needed to.

A quick jog over to the shop confirmed that Quil and Seth were there, and he quickly scaled the back steps and opened the door to be greeted by two of his best friends.

"Long time no see!" Seth said, pounding him on the back. Quil punched him in the shoulder and grinned as Jake flopped down on one of the beat-up leather couches.

"Why are you here bro?" Quil asked, tossing the car magazine he was reading down on the messy coffee table. Jake threw his arm over his eyes, heaving a sigh. Quil and Seth exchanged inquisitive looks, but said nothing.

"Nessie is in _Alaska_," he spat.

Quil frowned at him. "Why the hell is she in Alaska?" he asked, frowning at him.

"I don't know….who knows…no one ever tells me anything," Jacob grumbled, sitting up on the couch. He looked around the shabby apartment and grimaced at the dirty dishes and clothes strewn around the flat surfaces.

"Would it kill you guys to clean up once and awhile? Good lord," he huffed.

Seth laughed and chucked a cold piece of pizza at him. "Like you came here to whine about the atmosphere," he laughed. Jake chewed thoughtfully, swallowing a large bite.

"Still," he grumbled.

"Whatever," Seth said, taking his own piece. "Nessie went to Alaska with the rest of the Cullens. Big deal, right?"

"She's mad at me."

"No shit Sherlock!" Seth laughed, tucking his long hair behind his ears. Seth had gone through an un-kempt phase for awhile before he imprinted. He was scared to get into a relationship with one girl only to imprint on another soon after.

"Speak for yourself. How's Lizzie?" Jake asked. Elizabeth, or 'Lizzie' as Seth referred to her, was the sixteen year old girl from Makah he had imprinted on. She was Claire's babysitter when Quil wasn't available, and she and Seth had met several weeks before.

"Good…it's still weird sometimes though. I like it," he answered honestly.

"You relieved?" Jake asked softly. Seth nodded, taking another bite of pizza.

"Yeah."

"I understand," Jake replied.

"I just couldn't take the chance of doing to someone what Sam did to my sister. I know it wasn't his fault, but…I couldn't lead on some innocent girl only to find Lizzie and have to dump her for no reason. I'm glad that's over and I can move on with life now," he said. "And have Lizzie, too."

Jacob nodded. He covered his face with his hands, sighing loudly. "If life could only be so simple."

"Cheer up, Jake. So you kissed her, ditched her in the woods, and pissed her off. Just call her," Seth quipped.

"That's what Esme said."

"You talked to the Cullens?" Quil asked. It wasn't like Jacob to spend time with the Cullens when Renesmee wasn't around.

"Yeah…I did," he admitted slowly. "I had to go to the house to see if she was home, that's all."

"Oh…well…she went to Alaska for a little while with everyone. Something about getting away, meeting the rest of the Denalis."

"Oh yeah, the new ones. Great."

"Just cuz they're vampires doesn't mean they're bad. It's not usually a personal choice for them," Seth pointed out.

"Could you be any further up Edward's ass?" Jacob asked sarcastically.

Seth grinned, leaning towards him. "I seem to be right where _you _should be if you were smarter," he teased. Jacob made a face at him and reached for another cold slice of pizza.

"I just can't figure it out…why would she take off to Alaska without telling me? We're freaking bound to each other or whatever," Jacob mused.

"Don't be dense, Jake," Quil finally spoke up. "She's prolly not happy about it either. I'd get my happy ass up there if I was you. Before something happens."

"How do you know something will happen?"

Quil shrugged. "It's Renesmee. Something always happens. Be real, Jake."

Jacob growled at him, thoughts of Renesmee in trouble flitting across his mind.

"Thanks Quil. Thanks a lot," he sighed.

After leaving the apartment, he circled La Push a few times, just to make himself feel better. He stopped by to see Billy, but he was asleep. After that, he ran back to school just in time to phase, sneak into his dorm, and make it to class. He briefly had time to think about how he was already behind on his studying before he found a seat at the back of the lecture hall and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Renesmee, Rosalie, and Stefan arrived back at the Denali house where everyone was sitting in the great room waiting for them. Edward's eyes darted between Renesmee and Stefan as soon as he walked in the door.

This was one of the few times Renesmee wished she could have her father hear her thoughts - she wanted to tell him to butt out and not read Stefan's. As the three of them entered the main living room where everyone sat, there was not pair of eyes that wasn't on them.

"Look who we found in the woods!" Rosalie gushed, giving Stefan another one of her dazzling smiles. Pulling him forward, she practically put him on display for the rest of the Cullens. She discretely elbowed Renesmee for her to speak up.

"Yes, look who we found," she muttered, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I finished hunting sooner than I thought, so I decided it was best to come home and check in," Stefan replied, looking around the room nervously.

_He seems a little bit shy in front of all these people! Not that he has any reason to be…._Renesmee thought as she observed him out of the corner of her eye.

"Hello," Jasper said eagerly, bolting up to him and holding out his hand. "I'm Jasper. It's nice to finally meet you...in person," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm afraid my wife has already told me all about you."

"Yes, Eleazar told me about her special gift," Stefan replied, shaking his hand. "You sound like a very talented family," he replied.

"We were just hearing about your gift with water," Jasper replied, an excited twinkle in his eye. "I can't wait to hear more about it."

"Yes, well, as I was telling Renesmee, I'm still mastering it. I'm honestly not sure if it's a real 'gift' yet, but I do enjoy swimming as a vampire."

"It can take years to fully develop an individual talent," Jasper assured him.

Stefan looked at him and paused for a moment, noticing Edward in the room. Suddenly, Edward chuckled. "Yes, I can still hear you," he said.

Stefan's eyes widened again before he laughed. "I know we've spent time together before but...that will still take some getting used to!"

"He always tries to be discrete," Bella assured him. Stefan smiled shyly again, nodding slightly.

Alice introduced herself next. "I'm Alice, and just so you know, Edward usually tries to be very respectful," she said with a knowing smile.

"Okay," he said with a laugh. "He was the last time he visited, anyway!"

"We're used to him butting in by now!"

Alice laughed with him, and then paused when her eyes met his. "Are your eyes...." she trailed off.

"Slightly green? Yes," Stefan answered, looking down at the floor. "I'll explain more later, but we've found that a marine diet will cause it. I never had much of a taste for seafood when I was human, but things change I guess."

"Fascinating. You learn something new every day - even our kind I suppose," Jasper said, looking in wonder between him and Alice.

"Well, technically, this is the same day," Bella said with another giggle.

"Touché, love," Edward replied.

"Forgive us, Stefan, but we were about to talk about you before you arrived," Tanya said, walking over to sit on the raised slate stone hearth. "We were talking about your...eating habits as a human," she said with a giggle.

Everyone looked at Stefan curiously for him to explain what she meant.

"I believe Tanya is referring my vegetarianism even as a human," he replied.

"You're joking," Emmett said. "Boy what I wouldn't give to be able to have some ribs and beer!"

"You only say that because you think it's associated with watching football," Rosalie muttered, rolling her eyes.

"So? It looks like humans enjoy it!" Emmett defended his choice. Stefan laughed, his green and gold eyes lighting up.

"Yes, well...from what I can remember, I was into 'healthy' eating as a human, and I refrained from eating meat - I still ate fish, but that was all."

"So you've been a vegetarian your whole life! Delightful!" Alice trilled, her face lighting up with amusement. "That's so funny."

"I suppose so, yes. I don't remember why I was a vegetarian, but I'm fairly sure that I was," he replied with a laugh. "It was one of the few fuzzy details I have from human life."

"Yes, Stefan is a vegetarian in many ways - he demonstrated excellent control as a newborn," Tanya said proudly, smiling at him.

"Thank you, Tanya. It wasn't all easy, but I'm proud that my record is still clean," he replied.

"That's amazing," Rosalie gushed, smiling warmly at him. "It's hard to refrain when you're new – it gets easier," she reassured him.

"Mhm. I was telling Renesmee earlier that I try to avoid places with a lot of humans. I'm afraid I almost murdered the mailman a few times," he admitted sheepishly.

"Happens to the best of us," Emmett said flatly, shrugging.

"You guys spoke earlier?" Bella asked, looking at the two of them.

"Yes, Stefan found me in the woods by myself, and he introduced himself," Renesmee admitted.

"You were by yourself?" Edward asked curtly, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrow raising.

Rosalie growled. "I wasn't far off. I found them in a few minutes," she huffed.

"Still," Edward glared at her. "We cannot leave my daughter alone, Rosalie. She is far too precious to have anything happen to her!" Edward chided her.

Rosalie shot daggers at him for being so condescending in front of everyone, but bit her tongue just the same. Renesmee knew she agreed with her father's point of view.

"Dad," Renesmee whined, her eyes widening in embarrassment.

"Renesmee, I was only expressing concern. I don't want you alone in the woods – anything could happen," he said.

"Yeah, I could accidentally have some fun or something," she said. "Or a moment alone."

"She really wasn't that far from Rosalie," Stefan interjected quickly. "I knew Rosalie was around, I caught her scent not long after Renesmee's."

Edward nodded, calming a little. "We are just extremely careful with our daughter, you understand," he said.

Stefan nodded once, his eyes drifting to Renesmee. She considered showing him her gift with a projection of thanks, but refrained. She didn't want to scare him. Eleazar cleared his throat, causing her to look away from Stefan's mesmerizing gaze.

"We were just explaining about Damon, Stefan," Eleazar said quietly as everyone sat back down on the couches.

"Yes, Damon," Stefan replied, looking down at his hands. He was quiet for a moment as he thought, and Renesmee noted to herself that he was very shy, but in a likeable manner.

"We miss him very much, and we hope he returns to us soon," Carmen explained to the Cullens.

"He always had a mind of his own, even as a human," Stefan began. "I guess that explains why we were in the situation that Kate and Tanya found us in - a stupid bar fight. Although my memory of it is dim, I can remember how upset he was about something - and my brother did get upset over some trivial things - and, because I hated to see him upset, I naturally got riled up too."

"I hear ya, brother," Emmett growled, punching his hand fiercely. Rosalie rolled her eyes and motioned for Stefan to continue.

"Yes, well...I'm sure we all made different choices to end up how we are, I suppose," Stefan said. "But I don't regret anything. I'm here for a reason, and I intend to find it," he added, looking around the room. His eyes settled on Renesmee's before finding the floor once again.

* * *

Later that night, after finding a room for Renesmee to sleep in, Edward joined Bella and Jasper in Eleazar's impressive library to read.

Bella dropped her shield so that Edward could hear her.

_So what are your thoughts?_

Edward looked around the library before his eyes laid on a pad of paper. He grabbed it, deciding to write his responses in case Stefan was near. Listening to her thoughts, he began to scribble his answers down for her to read.

_He still seems like a good kid. Nothing has changed since the last time we were up here. _

_He's not a kid, Edward._

_You know what I meant._

_And besides...the last time we were up here, we were alone. Now we have Renesmee in tow._

_I didn't pick up anything vulgar, if that's what you're suggesting. _

_I couldn't help but notice he came into the room with an amused look on his face..._

_He did. He is indeed intrigued with our daughter._

_Just intrigued?_

_Yes. He obviously fancies her; but who doesn't?_

_Good point. We cannot ignore the obvious Edward. Is this something we should be worried about?_

_Not that I can tell. He has a kind mind. Very shy. _

_I know, but we can't forget about Jacob._

_What about him?_

_You KNOW what I mean, Edward. He imprinted on her; it wouldn't make him happy to know she's been up here in Alaska gallivanting around with a handsome young vampire...it would kill him._

_I have our daughter's best thoughts in mind. Don't fret, love._

_EDWARD! You'll let me know if something is…wrong, right? If something happens between the two of them? We can't ignore this. She's a hormonal teenager now. _

_You're the one blocking me from reading her thoughts..._

_That's for her privacy, Edward. That is something we agreed to years ago. It's not fair for you to be able to read our teenager daughter's thoughts._

_Okay, Okay. Point taken. I'll keep my ears open._

_Thank you dear._

Edward crumpled the paper he had been using to write his responses to Bella, tossing it into the roaring fire in the fireplace. Jasper looked on, an amused expression on his face. He sent a wave of calm to both of them after sensing their tension. Bella gave her brother-in-law a thankful smile before returning to her book.

* * *

Well, what did you think?

A few things: Stefan is now a 'Twilight-esque' vampire. I tried to make the clear in the writing, but just in case I thought I'd mention that. I gave him green-rimmed eyes from his diet because I couldn't stand to have him lose his pretty green eyes from the show : (

Hmm, so what do you think Jake will do? Give her space? Run to Denali and kick some vampire ass? What would Stefan think when her were wolf imprint shows up?

On an unrelated note, who is watching the VDs? Okay, is it just me, or is Damon pretty much a badass that you love to hate? Best quote: "If I _had_ a good side, this would not be a way to get on it."

AHHHH!!!! =)

Remember to check my update schedule that's in my profile!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter or the show, haha…


	12. In the middle of the night

_You took all there was to take,  
And left me with an empty plate  
I'm leaving you with all the blame cause I don't care  
Could you look me in the eye?  
And tell me that you're happy now?_

_Are You Happy Now – Michelle Branch_

***AUTHOR's NOTE****

First off, a big thank you to my beta, Rain-It-Shall…she got you guys another chapter for the weekend, so she rocks!

**I HAVE A TWITTER!**

**You can now follow me on Twitter - TwilightCakes**

On my twitter account I will post my story update schedule and update alerts, let you guys know what I'm working on, ask for ideas from my readers, PICS from stories, banners, and of course, anything Twilight Saga Related. So follow me!

Also, be sure to check out my new story, **'Immortal'**. It can be found on my profile, and it's for anyone because it's about the changes/phases of EVERY Twilight Saga character that goes through it. Carlisle, Jasper, Edward, Alice, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Jacob, Quil, Leah, Seth, Colin, Brady, Renesmee, Bella..and I'm thinking about a Charlie chapter just for the hellufit.

**I have also added a prologue!** Please go back and read it! It was just a nice moment I wanted to add in, and I think it's a really nice Edward/Bella scene that I thought needed to be seen. It explains more about Jake's Edward educed gag order.

Alright, read and enjoy! I hope you like getting to know Stefan : )

Renesmee paused, sniffing the air. She remained frozen in her bed, unsure if it was safe to give up the charade that she was really about to go to bed for the night. She had told her parents that she was going to bed while they went out to explore the Alaskan forest some more, but that wasn't really her intention. At all.

She had managed to endure another one of her father's annoying 'Stay inside, don't answer the phone if it's not someone you know, and lock the doors,' speech. Renesmee had rolled her eyes and pouted the whole time he father had spoken to her before finally snapping that she was 'going to bed.'

She shook her head just remembering the talk.

"Dad, I'm a half vampire, living in a house full of real vampires. Do you really think you have anything to worry about?" she had snapped.

Edward had looked a little hurt at first, but Renesmee had made up her mind – she was putting her foot down. She was sick of being babysat and treated like she was literally six and a half. She had come up to Denali to get her mind off of Jake and to get out of Forks, not to be treated even more like a little child. Granted, she realized that pouting and telling lies about what she was doing was not exactly adult behavior, but that was beside the point.

"I'm a _vampire_ for crap's sake…" she muttered under her breath, tossing her covers back. She had faked going to bed and stayed there until she was sure her parents and the rest of the family were long gone.

She opened the door to her temporary bedroom at the Denali house and sniffed again.

Her observation told her that Stefan had been down the upstairs hallway not long before her, and that he was probably in his room. She checked to make sure no one was around, and then slowly made her way to Stefan's room at the end of the hall.

Peeking inside, she saw Stefan lying on his couch, bent over a book that he was writing in. She had her hand raised to knock when he suddenly appeared at the door, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Oh!" she said, surprised that he had moved so quickly.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, pulling the door open further. "Do you want to come in?" he asked.

She peered inside, and then glanced back at the hallway. Her family was gone, and even though she knew her father probably wouldn't appreciate the fact that she was in a boy's room alone, but that was the beauty of the situation.

_They aren't here, _she thought to herself with a grin.

"Sure," she said, making her way inside the room again. It gave her a small thrill to do something like that, even something as small as stepping into a boy's room. In fact, it was almost sad that she was getting such a rise out of this.

Walking in, her mind flashed back to when she had snuck in there and snooped around with Rosalie. She looked around, unsure if she should act like it was the first time she had been in there or not.

"You know, I could tell after I met you that you had been in my room earlier," he said quietly, his lips making a lopsided smile. "I got back and picked up your scent in here right away. Yours and a certain aunt?" His eyes glittered mischievously as he watched her reaction.

_Busted._

Renesmee looked at the beige carpet and felt her cheeks blush. "Sorry about that…we were just curious," she said. "It was Rosalie…sorry about her, by the way. I know she can come on a little too strongly."

Stefan laughed, the velvety tones of his voice bouncing off the walls of the small bedroom. "It's quite alright, I just didn't expect it."

"Yeah…we didn't look at anything, I promise," she said.

Stefan shrugged, sitting back down on his leather couch. "Nothing exciting here. Just my stuff I've collected from the past two years. I'm rather boring I'm afraid," he said, gesturing around himself in a laid-back manner. She grinned at him and then quickly winced as she felt her heart rate speed up a little as she thought about being in his bedroom again.

_Sure, they weren't doing anything, but it was still new and rather…scandalous feeling._

She shook her head. "It's okay…I know what it's like to not have any privacy. I would never intrude on anyone else, at least not on purpose," she said.

He cocked his head to the side to look at her. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, running her fingers down the rows of CDs that lined the shelves. "I just…have never been alone…ever. I never get to go anywhere or do anything. My family has me locked down like…well…a prisoner with hunting rights," she admitted.

"Is it that bad?"

She felt guilty for painting such a bad picture to Stefan, who didn't know any better, but it was nice to have someone listen to her for once.

_Jacob would have just said that it was for my own protection and that it was what was best,_ she thought.

"It's as if you've never had practically any life experiences," Renesmee huffed, looking out his window. Stefan lowered his head and tried not to laugh, but she whipped around and caught traces of a smile on his lips.

"What?"

"Well, what exactly are you talking about? You're…what, sixteen physically?"

She nodded, jutting out her lower lip slightly. "I'll be seven…seventeen in a few weeks," she said defensively.

Stefan held up his hands in mock defense. "Well, don't get me wrong…I feel for you. I know what it's like to be babysat by the people around you, even if they do try to be polite and discrete about it. Carmen basically never let me out of her sight that first year. Believe me, I understand."

"Yeah, but try it for almost seven years."

"What life experiences are you talking about…exactly?" he asked, his eyes curious. She looked at him, forgetting her words for a moment as their gazes locked, her mind racing to come up with some examples.

"Well…I…I've never gone to school. I've never driven a car….or been anywhere alone. Someone always has to come with me. I've never done anything!"

"So…you're mad that your parents never made you sit through high school?" he asked. "You're not missing much, I'm afraid."

"But I would at least like to do s_ome_ things alone," she muttered. "I've never had any normal human experiences that they all talk so much about. All I ever hear is, 'You're lucky you're human, you get to do this, or that…' but I never get to. It's like they're all so happy that I'm half human, but I certainly never get to enjoy any aspect of it. I don't even remember the last time I went to a mall," she said bitterly.

Stefan thought a moment, his jewel toned eyes thoughtful. "I feel bad for you…this life…is strange enough sometimes, it must be really hard to not have any freedom. I at least earned mine after my first year…you're still dealing with it at almost seven."

Renesmee felt bad for complaining about her family to Stefan. It wasn't her intention to paint an unhappy picture for him. She turned around to face him, leaning against the windowsill as he watched her from the couch.

"It's not that it's bad…they're just worried something will happen to me."

"Because you're a half breed?" he asked.

"Yes, and I'm probably the only person alive with vampires for parents. It's just their nature I guess. Add my grandparents and my aunts and uncles into the mix and well…" she trailed off.

"They keep a pretty tight watch on you, huh?"

"Yes….sometimes it's like I'm being suffocated," she said sadly, turning to look out one of his windows. He looked down at his shoes, unsure of what to say to her.

"I don't mean to dump all this on you," she said. "Enough about that. I actually came here to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" he asked curiously.

"For coming to my rescue earlier, when you told my dad that I wasn't really alone. I know Rosalie wasn't that nearby – you could have told him that, and I know you said that for my benefit. You probably saved me a load of explaining and a decent sized lecture, so…thank you," she finished, raising her brown eyes to meet his golden ones.

He looked at her, clearly surprised. "Well, it didn't take an expert to see that you're a little… um…overprotected."

She smiled, sighing in relief. _Finally, someone who understood._

She looked at him closely, her eyes studying him as he sat on the couch watching her.

"You really do understand what its like, don't you?" she asked slowly.

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I do. I know Eleazar and the rest of the family were just watching out so that I didn't commit murder…and I will forever be thankful to them for that. But…I do remember vividly feeling very overprotected. I couldn't even leave the house to hunt without someone with me. They were just so afraid that I would have an accident. I suppose Eleazar knew that I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"All vampires have accidents," she said softly, sitting down beside him on the couch. "Almost everyone in my family has had an accident at one point or another."

"Really?"

She nodded. "My uncle Jasper accidentally tried to kill my mother when she was human."

He looked at her, his expressive eyes becoming slightly larger with surprise. "He did? He must have felt horrible."

Renesmee sighed, looking down at her hands again. "He did. That one little slip lead to a whole chain of events…" she trailed off. "But that's a story for some other time. I just want you to know that you're not the only one to make a mistake or be tempted."

"Are you ever tempted?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well, I was given human blood that had been donated as a baby, but as soon as I was old enough to be taught how to hunt, I was expected to stick to animals. I get uncomfortable when I'm in small places with certain humans, like my grandpa Charlie…but I'm just used to it. It gets easier to refrain."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately that's one of the down points of being half vampire…I do get the thirst. It's…it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. I hunt a lot though, especially at home with my Ja- my family," she stuttered quickly.

_Is it bad that I don't want to talk about Jacob in front of him? Should I care? It just feels…wrong to talk about Jacob in front of him._

"So you still…your throat still burns sometimes?"

She laughed, reaching up to touch the pale skin on her neck. "It does…but I don't' remember it not ever burning, really. You…you just get used to it. Sometimes it's more bearable than others," she added.

"That's what I'm hoping for. It would be nice to be able to go back to school, or go in a store, or even go outside without that worry…you know, _am I going to accidentally kill someone today?_" He laughed bitterly. "It would be nice to not always feel so anxious. To know that I had that iron control that most of your family seems to have."

She looked over at him, her eyes softening as she watched him speak about his lack of control. "It's okay to be scared. I think sometimes even the best of us get scared that we'll slip sometimes."

"I know…I know I'm still learning. It's just frustrating to master the whole 'thirst' issue. It's not something I can exactly practice that easily. If I fail, it's not like I stand up and try again. Someone will be _dead _if I mess up."

"I understand."

"So…is your family afraid that you're going to make a mistake and kill someone too?"

She winced a little, then looked at him sideways, a grin playing on her lips. "I think they probably worry a little more than they would with a normal vampire, actually," she admitted.

"Why?"

"Well," she started. "I….I'm not venomous. I wouldn't kill anyone if I bit them…it would just hurt and they could possibly bleed to death, but they wouldn't die from my venom. I could feed off of humans and just not kill them when I was done," she said meekly.

"Wow."

"Wow?" she asked. That was not the reaction she was used to after divulging that bit of information.

"Yes, well…I can sort of see why they keep such a close watch on you. The urge to do that must be…..hard to resist," he admitted, swallowing loudly.

Her mind thought back to the few times when she was little, and she had bitten Jacob for fun when she didn't get her way. His blood was different from animal blood or human blood…it was more…exotic tasting. Sometimes she had longed to taste him again, even though the memory of the foreign tasting nectar was crystal clear in her mind. Even though he claimed to hate the idea of her biting a human or anyone else, she was almost sure that he would have let her bite him if she asked nicely enough. Her throat flamed up just thinking about the taste of him.

"It is…sometimes. I wouldn't really know though, because I'm never allowed to go anywhere were it potentially could be a problem," she said.

"That sounds…like it would be a hard thing to deal with. It's never fun to feel like you're missing out on something," he said softly. "I feel like I've missed out on a lot these past few years."

A comfortable silence settled between them, and he looked back up at her as if he was waiting for her to speak again.

"Please don't think I'm complaining about my family…I love them, I do," she continued. "I just wish they would back off sometimes and let me live my life some more. I feel like I've never done anything normal."

"That would be difficult to overcome," he admitted. She looked over at him, just inches from where she sat, and realized that sitting here talking with Stefan was the first time she had been relaxed in months.

"You know…we're not that much different, you and I," she admitted. "Both of us are young and still trying to figure things out. At least your family does it in a polite way. Sometimes I feel like my family just barges in on my privacy and never lets me have even one secret!"

"You have a lot of secrets?"

"No, not really," she said, fidgeting with her hands. "But I mean, I can't even dream about anything without feeling guilty anymore. A few weeks ago, I caught Alice watching my dream! It's like I can't escape to anywhere anymore," she said.

Stefan frowned. "She was watching you dream?" he asked. She nodded, biting her lip. She held up her palm slowly, watching his reaction.

"Don't freak out, okay?" She said. He nodded carefully, his gaze meeting hers once again.

She held her palm to his cool cheek, concentrating. He raised his eyebrows in shock as she showed him various images, simple things first. She showed him arriving at the Denali house, her first run through the Alaskan woods, and hunting alone. Then she showed him feelings. The feel of the wind on her face as she darted through the blackness, the feeling of snow hitting her warm cheeks, and the feeling she had when she saw him at the edge of the snowy meadow. Next, she showed him words and sentences as she asked him a question.

_Now do you see?_

He jumped slightly as her question reached his mind. He looked at her sideways as a smile formed on his lips.

"That was….amazing," he said finally.

She grinned proudly at him, removing her palm and replacing it in her lap.

"I see now," he said, now fully grinning at her.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's amazing. Have you always…?"

"It was one of the first things I ever did. I showed Rosalie a picture of my mom from right after I was born. She almost dropped me!" She admitted with a laugh.

He gave her a serious look, his eyes narrowing to look at her. "I know you won't like me saying this, but I can see why your parents are so protective of you. They should be."

"What do you mean?"

"Renesmee, you're a half breed vampire, which is rare to begin with, and you're extremely gifted. And…very beautiful," he added quietly, his eyes falling down to his hands.

She felt her heart begin to thrum and a smile creep up on her lips. _He was flirting with her. _

He laughed suddenly, the sound startling her slightly. "I'm really sorry, that was…incredibly corny," he said softly. "You must think I'm so weird."

"No, no…that's really nice of you to say, actually," she replied, twirling a piece of her copper hair nervously around her finger. She could feel her cheeks start to grow hot with an embarrassed blush. "Sorry….I blush a lot. I hope it's not hard for you to be around me….?" She trailed off. She was suddenly afraid that the blood rushing to her cheeks would make a somewhat new vampire uncomfortable.

"No, its fine," he said quickly. He looked at her, sniffing the air slightly. "You don't smell…like a meal," he admitted. "You just smell…like fresh flowers. You smell kind of….appetizing, but it's more like going to a fancy party and seeing a huge, gorgeous fruit arrangement, you know? It's all laid out nicely in the center of the room, with a large variety of exotic fruits and orchids and everything. It always smells good, but no one wants to actually eat it and ruin its beauty. Like it's too perfect to touch. It's actually very nice."

Now it was her turn to smile shyly as her eyes met his. Talking with Stefan was different from anything she had ever experienced; he listened, he understood. The only other person she had confided in like this was Jake, but this was different.

It wasn't Jake. And suddenly she didn't mind.

Later that night, Alice was in one of the upstairs bedrooms fixing her hair. She always had trouble finding a hairstyle that covered her uneven, pixie like cut.

She silently swore under her breath as she prodded and picked pieces to try to camouflage the places she wanted to hide. Neither Jasper's love and assurance or time had made her haircut any less of a horror to her.

Over the years, she had suffered through times and fashions where long hair was in fashion, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had had to dance through life with a smile on her face and a five cent hair cut from an insane asylum.

Grumbling under her breath, she suddenly froze as the pictures swirled together to form a vision behind her golden irises.

_Volterra, Italy. At night. A tall, lean man, dressed in a fine suit. But he wasn't a man…he was a teenage boy, close to manhood but not quite there yet._

_He watched the palace guards open the gates to darkness for Felix. His black robe brushed the floor as he entered, Demetri not far behind him. They were returning from an errand for Aro, but this boy did not know about this. No, he only knew of the power the Volturi possessed. _

_He was hungry for it. _

_He watched the palace from a darkened corner, high in the rafters of a nearby church. _

_He waited._

_He watched._

_He fed carelessly outside the walls of the city, but once he was within the walls he let the thirst burn his throat. _

_He was waiting for his chance. _

Alice snapped back to present time, her golden eyes confused as she looked at herself in the mirror.

What on earth had she just seen?

Renesmee quietly inhaled a short breath- the last scent of the cougar she would have until she executed her plan. The animal had sensed danger; carnivores were natural hunters, and seemed to be more perceptive when they were being hunted themselves.

She followed the already suspicious animal stealthily up the rock face and watched as it hid itself among the jagged, snowy rocks that decorated the hillside where she hunted. Renesmee was fairly sure that the animal was waiting to pounce on _her_ instead. The more aggressive animals they hunted sometimes would do that. When they knew they were being followed or stalked they would occasionally attempt to turn the hunt around and make the vampire the prey.

The animals had never succeeded.

Springing lithely into the air, her suspicions were met when the animal sprang at her in an attack. Swinging her arm out, her fist connected with the side of the animal and she was greeted with a cracking sound as several of its ribs shattered. The cougar cried out, but did not stop its attack. It swung and hissed at her, growling fiercely as she circled it.

She normally did not 'play' with her food when she was hunting like some of her family members did. The thrill of the hunt was sometimes gone too quickly, and it eased frustration at times to taunt the prey a little before the game ended. Renesmee usually wasn't like this; she ended the animal's life as quickly and painlessly as possible before completing her meal.

Today was not one of those days.

She hissed at the large cat, knowing that this would provoke it even further. It recoiled with rage and batted at her again as she danced closer to it, her feet easily finding their footing on the uneven rock ledge.

The cat growled and lunged, its razor sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight as their two bodies connected and began to wrestle. The claws of the cougar did not even come close to piercing her marble-like skin, but she could still feel the pressure of the hard claws as they swiped at her.

She jumped up again, rolling over the large animal with a grunt. It had been a strange couple of days since she had been in Stefan's room. While her stomach still fluttered excitedly when she thought about her conversation with him, she felt guilty.

Her she was, drooling over this new vampire and she didn't even think about Jacob. She didn't even really feel bad that she wasn't thinking about Jacob. In her mind, Jacob had always been her only option. She felt like Rosalie was inside her head suggesting all of this like she had in the past, but Renesmee was also starting to think about other things herself.

For instance, did she only like Jacob because he was the only other really available boy to her? She shook her head as she straightened her crouch, circling the cat again.

No, surely not. The other wolf pack boys had always been around her. However, they had always teased her like she was their younger sister. Renesmee was fairly sure that if she had attempted to flirt with one of them they would have laughed in her face.

She was so deep in thought that she barely noticed when her prey gave her a final growl and began to bolt away, further into the rock face.

"Shit," she grumbled. She was really not in the mood to chase the stupid cat; she just wanted the thrill of a scuffle. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Renesmee began the chase.

Before she was even around the rock face the car had disappeared behind, she heard a soft vampire landing, a sickening crack, and then nothing as the animal was held out in front of her.

"No reason to swear," Bella said softly, holding the cat up to her daughter gingerly. Renesmee rolled her eyes, swiping the large car effortlessly away from her mother, slightly embarrassed that her mother had had to kill her meal for her. She _never _let her meals get away from her.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked, following Renesmee to sit down on a large rock. Renesmee growled a very vampire _growl_ and began to drink from her carcass.

Bella said nothing, simply staring out at the scenery below them and becoming like a statue. Renesmee soon finished, shoving the animal away from her. She would bury it later.

Bella sat there with her in silence for awhile, not saying anything. Renesmee knew that her mother would never prod her for information about what was bothering her. That just wasn't her mother's style.

"Mom…"

Bella looked over at her, still quiet.

"Never mind," she said quickly, looking down. Bella looked at her inquisitively for a moment, then simply stood and hopped down from the walk.

"When you're ready," she said simply, grabbing the discarded cat to bury it. Renesmee watched her mother gracefully uproot a tree, toss the cat underneath, and put it back in lace.

"Let's go home," Bella said. Renesmee hopped down and followed her mother back to the Denali house grateful for her mother. She knew that Bella would wait until she was ready to talk.

Several days later, Jacob yawned and stretched, throwing the blankets over his face to block out the early morning sunlight.

_Wait, sunlight? It's morning already? Shit! I can't be late for that class again..._

Jumping up, he threw on the first clean-looking jeans and t-shirt he saw on his floor before grabbing his books and bolting from the room.

To say that school was going not as smoothly as he has anticipated was an understatement.

He had been a complete idiot to believe that he could handle school in his state. He was constantly on edge because he hadn't heard from Renesmee, and he was literally in so much physical pain from being away from her that it distracted him completely. He longed to touch her, hold her against his body, and just _kiss her_.

He shook his head at himself as he strode quickly across the campus. He wasn't ever going to get better unless he could teach his mind how to focus on something else besides his imprint.

He was almost to the science building when he looked up at the clock tower that was in the center of the quad. Great. Already two minutes late.

Suddenly, he felt himself crashing into a body while he was preoccupied with looking in the opposite direction.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, his books flying to the ground. Bending down to pick them up, he caught a familiar scent and winced.

Carly.

"Well here we are again," she said softly, giggling as she bent down to help him pick up his scattered books.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I'm just late for class..." he trailed off, scrambling for the rest of his papers.

"Seems we keep finding ourselves like this," she said. "Maybe someone's tryin' to tell us something."

Jacob looked up at her for a moment before standing quickly. Even if he did want to pursue Carly, it would be in vain. She just…Renesmee. The same Renesmee who wasn't speaking to him at the moment. The irony was torturing him slowly.

He had almost forgotten his run-in with the pretty, blonde girl a few days before. And now here she was.

"Yeah, maybe," he stuttered, glancing at the clock again. He didn't want to seem rude, but he really didn't have time to be dealing with this silly girl.

"Not that I mind runnin' into a nice boy like yourself," she flirted.

Jacob felt his cheeks grow hot. Was she making him _blush?_

He was instantly uncomfortable around her. "Well, I shouldn't be so klutzy, I'm sorry," he said.

"No harm done. So you on your way to class?"

_Um, duh..._

"Yeah, actually I gotta get going..." he trailed off, trying to be as nice as possible. Just because this girl wasn't Renesmee didn't mean he had to be _mean. _

"Well you're in a hurry...I'll see you around," she said with a wave.

"Yeah, see ya," he replied slowly. had a pleasant scent - a bit fruity, like, strawberries? Her slight southern drawl gave her a certain charm that was slightly appealing, Jake thought, but soon began to feel the familiar tugging sensation in his chest.

He was slowly being tortured. The one person wanted to talk to wouldn't even speak to him. Yes, life was funny indeed.

That night, Alice decided to set out on a mission. She was on a mission to figure out Stefan.

What lead her to this was a vision she had just had that she strangely did not understand. It was of a dark-haired vampire, obviously young and slightly sloppy with his feeding habits, and he was in a place she did not expect to see him.

To say that she was intrigued with the young vampire was an understatement. The Cullens did not wander far, and therefore no longer got many opportunities to meet new vampires, much less vampires like this.

Once Renesmee could be heard breathing evenly and slowly upstairs, she took her window of opportunity and decided to go with it. She found him in the library, perusing Eleazar's extensive collection of books and journals he had kept over the years.

Stefan looked up as Alice entered the large room, a bashful smile decorating his sculpted features.

"Hello Alice," he said, leaning back in his chair. "What brings you to the library?" he asked pleasantly. She grinned at him and danced over to a ladder in the corner.

"I'm not what you would label a calm vampire," she admitted sheepishly, pushing off the shelf and rolling along the rows of books. The ladder creaked to a halt at the end of the row, and she bounced down, laughing her tinkling laugh.

Stefan watched her dance around the library with an amused expression. "No, you don't seem like it," he admitted

She came to a halt in front of him, looking at him closely. "So, Stefan…"

"So, Alice?" he prodded, crossing his arms.

"How do you like Alaska?" she asked.

"I like it. It keeps me out of trouble."

"Trouble?"

"Away from people," he declared quietly. She gave him a knowing smile and perched on Eleazar's desk.

"I understand. I had a few accidents that probably could have been prevented at first," she said. "But you know, I didn't know what I was when I woke up. I'm glad I figured out about animals when I did."

Stefan nodded. "I feel bad enough about the animals, but I am not eager to add humans to that list," he said.

"I see. So tell me about this brother of yours," she said finally. His eyes lit up for a moment, then clouded with a sad look as she waited for him to speak.

"Damon? What do you want to know?" he asked. "Did you see something?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded slowly, locking her golden eyes on his. "What did Eleazar tell the two of you about our kind?"

Stefan shrugged, concentrating for a moment. "He…told us that we should not kill humans…we shouldn't flaunt ourselves, break any laws…"

"Laws?" Alice asked, turning her head to the side. "What laws?"

He looked at her incredulously, and it became obvious between the two of them that she was playing dumb. She grinned at him slyly and nodded, urging him to continue.

"You know…vampire laws?"

"So you know about the Volturi?"

He nodded, smiling at her. _So that was what she wanted me to talk about_, he thought. "Of course Alice. Yes, Eleazar did tell us about the Volturi. I think he was worried he might scare us a little…which in a newborn's case, might be a good way to make him or her behave," he added with a laugh. She gave him a sympathetic smile and clicked her tongue.

"Yes, you newborns need to know how to behave…so rambunctious…." She playfully chided.

She thought a moment. In her vision, the young vampire was not in the Volturi palace…but he was nearby in the city at night.

"Would Damon have known about the Volturi?"

Stefan thought again, then looked up at her. "Yes, I suppose he would. He did read Eleazar's journals about his time with the Volturi."

"He did?"

"Yes, he did. Why?"

"Just wondering. I remember being very shaken when I was young to learn that someone could come after me for breaking laws I didn't even know existed."

"Yes, well…it did shake me quite a bit. But Damon was actually quite intrigued with the idea of a royal family. And I suppose it is kind of a novel idea; even as monsters, we still have rules," he added.

Alice frowned, her mind searching the future. She was suddenly _blind _to this dark haired boy. Feeling her eyes glaze slightly, she stiffened as her mind searched through all the images and short clips of her family members, looking for a hole or something she missed. She could normally focus on someone she knew or had seen before and get at least a muddled version of their future. What was the meaning of her visions of this strange, dark haired boy?

She had a feeling she knew who the boy was…and she didn't want to make her new friend Stefan upset by talking about his uncertain future as she had seen it.

"Alice?" Stefan asked gently, placing his hand on her arm. Her eyes refocused and she smiled, shaking her head slightly.

"Sorry….sometimes they just hit me!" she laughed it off. He smiled at her, his lips pressed together tightly.

"What…what did you see? Did you see my brother?" he asked quickly, his eyes full of hope.

She struggled with her answer, suddenly sorry that she had tried to see Damon. It wasn't fair of her to bring him up and then taunt him with mysterious images she was catching of him.

"No, no I haven't," she lied, shaking her small head. "I wouldn't even know who to look for!" she added with a casual laugh, silently hoping that her acting skills were up to par.

"I've upset you," she said softly, noticing his chagrin.

"No, no, it's alright," he said slowly, disappointment tainting his voice. "I…I know he's not going to come back…ever."

She looked at him carefully, her golden eyes searching his own green-rimmed ones. "You don't know that," she said quietly, hoping to make the young vampire feel a little better.

"Yes, I do…actually…" Stefan said sadly. "He…he could never stay in a place like this…in backwoods Alaska, away from everything…Damon…he's not like I am. No one ever believed we were really brothers. He's very outgoing and daring, pig-headed…overconfident…"

"Doesn't sound much like you," Alice mused, winding her fingers tightly around the ladder that she stood by.

"No…but…he was my brother, and I did love him. We used to be very close. When he was younger he wasn't like he is now. We actually had fun together. God that seems like eons ago…"

"Human memories are always foggy…so I hear," Alice mumbled.

He gave her a sad smile and nodded. "Yes, they are growing foggier by the day I'm afraid. But…I still remember Damon when we were human. We were best friends, and nothing could tear us apart. But it was silly of me to expect him to stay here with me. I knew he could never do it….he wanted more from life than to stay cooped up in a cabin, powerless. I knew from the moment we awoke as…what we are…that he wouldn't stay."

"Too much for him?"

Stefan nodded. "The power of it all was intoxicating to him. I was…slightly horrified, even though Tanya told me what it would be like. But that doesn't prepare you for waking up."

She shrugged and ran her finger down a row of book spines as he spoke.

"Anyway…I knew right away that he wouldn't stay. He wants more…"

"Like what?"

It was Stefan's turn to shrug. "Not sure, really. Damon had big dreams when he was a human – now that he's a vampire, well….I doubt that much has changed."

She nodded in understanding, her dead heart going out to the young vampire who still mourned for his brother. So even _he_ admitted that Damon was probably somewhere up to no good.

Something didn't add up right.

Renesmee awoke the next morning refreshed- it was the best sleep she had gotten in weeks, and she actually felt rested. Yawning, she sat up and stretched.

"Oh!" she jerked awake, seeing that she was being watched.

"I wasn't snooping!" Alice said, throwing up her hands in mock defense.

"You swear you weren't snooping around in my head?" Renesmee teased, standing up from her bed.

"Noooo...it was hard though, trust me."

"I'm sure...what are you doing in here, anyway?"

"The boys are hunting _again_, Rose is having her turn with the piano since your father hogged it all night, and Bella is _reading_," she replied, rolling her eyes.

Renesmee giggled, pulling her long, bronze curls up into a ponytail. "You never could sit still, could you Alice?"

She raised her hands again, a bored look on her face. "I'm one for education and whatnot, but after a century of reading, I've pretty much read all there is to read. I can't stand to read anything twice like your mother and father can - I just don't have the patience!"

"Sure, sure."

"Well, I just don't. The only thing I can do for more than an hour is watch you sleep, Nessie!"

"Fine, fine," Renesmee replied, waving her off. She sympathized with her aunt; she knew her family members had a LOT of free time due to the fact that they never had to sleep, eat, or use the bathroom, not to mention that they really only showered when they felt like it or after a particularly messy hunt.

"You make me feel my human side, Alice."

"I know...I do it on purpose. I'm a little envious of that,"

"I'm sorry," Renesmee said, giving her aunt a sympathetic look. "I know it must be hard to not remember it."

"I have a feeling I wouldn't want to...what I do know doesn't sound like pleasant stuff".

"Well you can help me be a human, how's that?"

Alice laughed her chipper laugh and jumped up from the bed. "You know, I used to be obsessed with your mother experiencing human things - prom, graduation, her wedding, her honeymoon...I just want the same for you is all. And I really want to be there when you do," she added sadly.

"Why so blue Alice?"

"Oh I'm not! I just want you to experience the human side of things, for all of us. I kinda like to pretend that your human experiences are...my human experiences too...is that okay?"

Renesmee smiled sadly at her aunt, and then threw her arms around her. "Of course it is Alice!" she replied, hugging her aunt's stone body.

"Okay, well, thanks Nessie!" she laughed, hugging her back. "Now go downstairs and humor your father - he and Carmen have set out with the talk of using a waffle iron this morning to make you some waffles!"

"Okay deal. Let me just finish getting ready, then I'll be down," she replied, walking into the bathroom of the room she had chosen to sleep in.

"Deal," Alice chirped, jumping towards the door. Once outside, she paused and looked over the balcony into the great room where Stefan sat, talking with Rosalie and Emmett. They were almost as curious about him as Alice was.

She bit her lip and sighed. The vision she had had the evening before showed that things were about to get complicated. _Quite complicated indeed. _

After Alice stole away downstairs, Renesmee crept back into her room and picked up her cell phone. Still no word from Jacob. She checked the date and frowned. Her seventh birthday was just a few weeks away, and she still hadn't heard from him. Would he really let that day go by, that birthday, the most important birthday of all birthdays, go by unnoticed?

Normally she would have said not a chance, but after what had happened…she wasn't so sure.

The silence between them had grown at this point, and it might as well have been a giant, looming cloud over her entire life at the moment. If it wasn't for her conversation with Stefan the night before, she wasn't sure that being in Denali would have helped her at all. In fact, she hadn't thought about Jacob the entire time she had been talking to Stefan.

Instantly, she felt guilty. Was it bad that Jacob had never crossed her mind at all when she was with Stefan?

_Nothing happened….no reason to feel guilty…yet. _

_Hmm…_So what do you think Alice's vision was all about? hmm?

And I was at a wedding reception recently that had the most *gorgeous* fruit and exotic flower display in the middle of the room. It smelled amazing and looked even prettier, and I remember that no one really wanted to eat off of it because it just looked so unbelievable. So that's where that came from.

What do you guys think of Carly? This is not the last we'll see of her ; )

Renesmee is starting to get pissed that her family is so overprotective, so hopefully she'll meet a vampire soon who will help her get some 'life experiences'. *hint hint*

**Remember to add me on Twitter! TwilightCakes**

Review? Please?


	13. Interlude : Meanwhile, in Italy

_When you came in the air went out  
And all those shadows there filled up with doubt  
I don't know who you think you are  
But before the night is through  
I wanna do bad things with you  
I wanna do real bad things with you_

_Bad Things – Jace Everett_

_~*~_

**Quick Author's Note: Remember to check my profile for update statuses. There I post what I am working on, what to expect next, and ask for input from you guys. Check it out! I update it as often as I can.**

Alright, back to the story. Enjoy!

~*~

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* * *

**Interlude: Italy**

The large wooden doors swung open and he walked forward with a confident air to his stride. The room stilled even more if that was possible. He moved through the doorway slowly, his head moving from one side to the other in a brief acknowledgement of those around him. Their crimson eyes glowed from beneath their long cloaks, waiting to see what he would do.

He made his way towards the front of the large, white room and the three empty marble chairs that stood at the end of it much like an altar.

Jane lifted her chin in the air defiantly when her crimson eyes fell on him, but her expression broke and soon her lips turned upwards in a pleased remnant of a tight lipped smile. Alec gave him an amused glare, but his expression soon mirrored that of his sister. Felix made a noise that resembled a satisfied purr as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the execution that was surely to come.

"Go," Demetri hissed, firmly poking a stony finger in his back.

He jumped slightly, turning on his heel to stand nose to nose with the blonde errand boy of the guard in a blatant challenge. He smirked at Demetri, earning a low growl from him. Demetri raised his arm to strike him, his eyes glowing with rage. "Why you insolent-"

"Calm yourself, Demetri," a smooth but demanding voice declared.

"Master," Jane whimpered, her voice tinged with excitement. Alec looked at her and smiled, while the rest of the guard looked forward at its leaders.

The blonde older boy froze, his arm in midair, ready to strike. The subject of his un-given blow snorted, looking pointedly at Demetri before stepping forward to address the three vampires who were taking their place in the marble thrones.

"Hospitality in this place is _really_ really…lacking," he said, stepping away from Demitri.

Aro's eyes narrowed at the informal and slightly rude greeting, and then his expression slowly grew pleasant.

"At long last we meet. Damon Salvitore," he replied, opening his arms. A servant placed his velvet robes on his shoulders carefully, and then scurried away. Caius and Marcus both appeared behind him at their own thrones, clad similarly.

"Aro, is it?" Damon asked, raising one of his eyebrows in question. He didn't wait for Aro to nod before he placed his hands on his hips and turned in a slow circle, taking the large white room in.

"Yes, my child. I am Aro, and these are my brothers, Marcus, and Caius," he replied slowly, watching the young vampire with rampant interest.

"Oh yeah, I've done some reading…I know," Damon replied smoothly, looking curiously up at the ceiling. Demetri rolled his eyes impatiently as Damon continued to try his patience.

"I do not normally meet with just anyone," Aro reminded him, his voice serious this time.

Damon turned to look at him, cocking one of his eyebrows up. "Yes, well…I've been in your neck of the woods for a few weeks now, and I figured I'd…drop in," he mused, stepping closer to Aro. Demitri and Felix were at his side in an instant, ready to rip his limbs from his body should he touch their master.

"Felix…Demitri…" Aro said, waving them down. They stepped back, obviously perturbed that they were not going to be allowed to destroy the haughty young vampire right away.

"I am indeed aware that you have been near my beloved city for awhile now," Aro said. Damon's head whipped around quickly, and he frowned.

"You'll be relieved to know that I touched no one in the city," he said shortly. Aro nodded.

"I am well aware, friend."

"What is the meaning of this?" Marcus asked his voice low and garbled. Damon looked at him, then back at Aro indignantly.

"I just came to audition, if I could," Damon said, holding his arms out. "Everywhere I go and ever vampire I meet told me I just _had _to get myself over to Italy to check this place out. And I'll be honest; now that I'm here, I quite enjoy it."

"You wish to join the guard?" Caius asked suddenly, sitting up in his seat. "How do you know you even deserve to walk the same halls as Aro? Or Marcus? Or _myself."_

Damon looked at Caius, his eyes narrowing. "I think I have plenty of reasons," he answered back indignantly. Caius's eyes grew wide with fury at his assumption, and he looked at his brother.

"Let us be done with this. This arrogant boy is a waste of my time," he said.

Aro waved him off, not ready to dismiss Damon just yet. "Damon, I must ask…why have you come? Is my brother correct? Do you wish to join the guard and serve us?"

Damon snorted, placing his hands on his hips again, casting a glance out at the rest of the guard that lined the room. His eyes met Jane's and he winked at her casually, making a growl erupt from Alec.

"Aro!" Caius growled. "He mocks us!"

Jane gave an amused smirk to Caius and looked back at Aro to see what he would say.

"I do admit that your…'guard' intrigues me, however, that is not why I came. You see, I believe I would serve more purpose, oh, I don't know, replacing a member who is maybe not as talented as I am?"

Caius snarled, and Aro looked over his shoulder, amused. "Calm yourself, dear brother," he murmured, his red eyes glittering.

"He wishes to take your place," Marcus muttered, his head turning to look at Caius. A rumbling whisper swept through the guard on the sides of the room, and even Demitri and Felix exchanged a glance.

"I'd rip him to pieces for his sheer indignance and disregard for authority!" Caius growled, exposing the top row of his teeth. "You do not want to anger me, child."

Damon stood still as a statue and smirked at him, obviously unworried.

Aro held up a hand, silencing them all. "My children, we must at least hear out dear friend's side. Damon, why do you think you would replace my precious brother? This is, you understand, quite a lofty presumption to make," he said.

"Yes, _Damon_, speak quickly," Cauis sneered.

Damon lifted his eyebrow again, his calm façade never failing. "I have done my research on the matter and I simply believe that I have a talent that would serve more purpose than yours…" Damon replied firmly. He made a confused face, and then turned to look at the furious vampire before him.

"Wait…Caius…I don't believe I know what your gift actually _is_?"

Another hushed rumbled of whispers swept through the watching crowd before Aro could silence the room again. Marcus gave an amused, yet angered glare at Damon as he practically pranced in a circle in the center of the large room.

"Forgive me, Caius, I have forgotten…you don't actually _have_ a gift."

Caius jumped to his feet, ready to be done with the menace that stood in the center of their court. "Enough! Let us be done with this fool!"

Felix and Demitri wasted no time grabbing his arms and forcing him down on his knees at the foot of the marble staircase in front of Aro. Damon raised his chin and waited for the decision of their leader.

The room was silent as every vampire present held its breath and waited for the decision. Would Aro sentence this haughty young vampire to death for coming and making a fool of his brother?

Aro stared at him, silent and still as a statue as he debated. Finally, he spoke.

"Give me your hand," he said firmly, his crimson eyes widening in anticipation. "Let us all see what young Damon can offer."

Damon gave a smug look of triumph to his two holders, and Felix and Demitri released him with a flourish.

He stepped forward, offering his palm to the leader of the Volturi. He swallowed down his nervousness, hoping that it didn't show. If he had a heartbeat, it would been pounding in his chest as Aro reached out and grasped his cool hand, placing his fingertips in the palm of it.

It felt as though a whisper of a cool breeze was floating through his mind. It twisted and turned through all the crevices, winding and sneaking into every last corner. It rushed and blew though every tunnel, every hole, and every miniscule little thought he had ever had. Something that felt like steel held him in an iron grip as the wind blew through his brain, extracting every piece of information he had ever read, thought, heard, or wished for.

Then it was over.

Aro pulled his hand away, his dark eyebrows pushed together. His red eyes seemed to glow with amusement and interest for what he had just seen.

"Well?" Marcus said, although it came out almost like a gasp. Cauis looked over at him, then back at Aro.

"What is it you have seen, Aro?"

Aro was silent as he stepped back slightly releasing Damon's hand. His eyebrows separated slowly, his lips curling back from his teeth in a sinister smile.

"Very…v_ery_ interesting, young Damon. You do not disappoint me."

Damon raised his chin, cocking an eyebrow at the vampire before him. "I did not lie to you," he simply said. He looked pointedly at Caius and Aro turned and walked back up the marble steps to sit in his throne.

"Well?" Caius snapped. "Speak!"His patience was clearly growing thin. He wanted nothing more than to see this indignant, malicious young vampire in a pile of marble rubble at the bottom of the steps before him.

"You are indeed a very talented young vampire," Aro said finally. "Your talent is…intriguing to me. Very much so…." He trailed off, still in contemplative thought. Marcus slowly turned his head to look at him, but turned in back forward in disinterest.

Aro thought another minute, pausing before he spoke. "I would very much like you to join my guard, Damon. You would indeed serve great purpose here," he said.

Damon snorted indignantly and shook his head, narrowing his eyes at Aro. "You touched my hand; you know that's not what I want. That's not what I came here for and you're very well aware of that."

"So you refuse?" Aro asked, his eyes wide with amazement.

"Yup," Damon replied, popping the 'P' on his answer. The sound echoed in the large marble hall, and the vampires along the wall stood frozen, staring at him.

"_Master_," Demitri hissed, his eyes wide.

Aro held up his hands, silencing his gifted tracker.

"You…you lived with animal drinkers. The Denali's. Did Eleazar recognize your talent?" Aro finally asked. "You see dear Damon…he is a very old friend of mine."

Damon nodded, outwardly pleased that Aro had taken an interest in him that he had so banked upon.

"He kept journals about his time within these walls. I knew what he could do and I…might have misled Eleazar," Damon sneered triumphantly.

Aro's delighted look only increased at this information. "So he does not know what you can do?"

Damon shook his head. "I'd prefer to keep that part a secret…for now," he said. "I wish to leave it at…I'm gifted, and that's all I wish for everyone else to know," he added, looking around the room.

Aro's enchanted expression only grew _more_ at this point as he nodded his head. "Yes, young Damon…I agree. It will be between us. I do not deny that your talents…Interest me greatly."

"So?" Damon prodded, his hands on his hips again. Another deep growl resounded from Caius and his lack of respect when addressing them.

"Oh quit growling at me, it's r_eally_ unbecoming," Damon sneered at him sarcastically. Caius's eyes grew so wide they looked like they might explode. Damon just rolled his own crimson eyes in response.

"He feeds off your anger, brother," Marcus muttered again, not even bothering to look at him. Caius dropped his eyes to the floor, determined not to let Damon irritate him again. Damon snorted, turning his attention back to Aro.

"So where do we stand?"

Aro thought another moment, his red eyes still wide with attention.

"These animal drinkers you lived with…they are friends of a very powerful coven of other animal drinkers…Perhaps they spoke of them?"

Damon nodded, obviously disinterested. "Yeah…the Cullens…what of them?"

Aro nodded quickly, a smile gracing his lips again. "Yes…yes, the _Cullens_. They are very dear friends of ours, along with the Denali clan."

"And?" Damon asked casually, holding up his hands in question. "Why should I care about the Cullens?"

Aro's eyes narrowed. He was quickly growing tired of this young boy's rudeness, but he would clearly not allow that to distract him from the prize at hand.

"The Cullens have something in their possession. Something that I am very, very interested in. I have waited a long time to…acquire this creature from them, and I'm tired of waiting."

"And? How does this involve me?" Damon spat. He was obviously feeling the sting of rejection at not being offered Caius's position, and he was ready to be done here.

"Well, I do admit that in the past the Cullens have been hesitant to give up the rights to this…specific specimen of our kind, and I feel that you just might have the talent to…Obtain it for me."

Damon cocked his eyebrow again, looking pointedly at Caius. "And If I do bring back this specimen, what would be in it for me?" he asked, returning his eyes to Aro. Aro smiled at him, intrigued by his forwardness and need for power.

"I would reconsider your request, and we shall leave it at that," Aro said quickly. Caius's eyes widened in rage, and Aro held up a hand to him. "There is always room in our happy family, dear brother."

Caius sat back in his chair with a grunt, obviously disturbed by this news.

Damon scanned the room, obviously confused. "So…I'm a bit confused. Why don't you just go and get this 'specimen' yourself? What do you need me for? Not that I'm complaining…..but…just indulge me."

Aro's eyes narrowed, and he finally let his anger seep through his expression. "They have a few members of their coven that will make the aspect of surprise very difficult. They are not to be underestimated; they are a very gifted coven."

"How so?"

Aro smiled, pleased that Damon was taking an interest in the quest. "There is a mind reader, a shield, and fortune teller involved…" His mind went to the wolf pack the guarded the young girl he wanted. "….among other things."

Damon raised his chin and looked at the vampires before him, enticed by the idea of a challenge.

"This is your chance, Damon. Bring this creature to me and you will be rewarded. I can promise you that."

"How do you know you're serious?" Damon asked quickly, crossing his arms. "How do I know you'll give me what I want when I do come back with this…creature?"

Aro suddenly flashed down the steps to stand before him, a menacing growl coming from his lips. "You will do best to do as I say and not question my word," he said quickly and firmly. Damon looked at him, his eyes raking up and down Aro to show that he was not afraid.

"Alright," he stated, stepping back from him. "You have a deal. I'll go and find this coven, and I'll bring you back whatever it is you want," he said.

There was a stiff silence in the room as soon as Damon's answer left his lips. Aro looked back at both of this brothers, obviously amused at the willingness of the young vampire before them.

"Your old family will show you where to find the Cullens," Aro replied, folding his hands together. "The fortune teller could easily have foreseen that someone will be coming…I do not expect you will find them where they normally dwell," Aro warned.

Damon spun on his heel to leave, and Caius cleared his throat.

"Oh Damon?"

Damon turned, his eyes narrowing at the blonde vampire. "Yes?"

"Give my regards to Tanya and her sister, Kate. We're…old friends, you could say," Cauis called smugly, an amused smirk gracing his features. Damon raised his eyebrow at him, but said nothing else as the turned to leave.

"Good luck, Damon," Aro replied, moving back to his seat. "Good luck indeed."

"I'll be back," he called over his shoulder to a smiling Aro. His eyes fell on Gianna, who stood against the doorway to the large marble room. She pursed her red lips and gave him a pointed look, and Damon snickered to himself before tossing her a quick wink.

"Oh yes, I certainly will be back."

He left the marble room, flashing out of the dark hallways as quickly as he had come. He needed a plane ticket to the United States, and then another ticket to Alaska, and to hunt soon. Things were finally starting to come together for him.

_He had work to do. _

_~*~_

* * *

Well I hope you all enjoyed Damon's quick little interlude. He was so much fun to write, and I hope you all enjoyed his little spat with Cauis. I watched quite a bit of The Vampire Diaries before writing this, and I hope I did a decent job of capturing his smug, haughty, yet appealing demeanor.

To make it clear, Aro is pleased with his willingness to help out with his plan to get Renesmee, so he offers him a place as a guard member – basically just to pacify him. Damon shoots him down because he feels he deserve Cauis's spot and is hungry for more power. Damon makes fun of the fact that Cauis is one of the three leaders, yet he has no gift. Aro uses his gift to 'see' what Damon can do.

**Damon has a very specific gift that will come in handy when it comes to being sneaky, and you aren't supposed to really know what it is yet, in case you are confused. It will be explained in a later chapter. **

Damon's gift is not that far off from another person we are familiar with. No two gifts are the same, but **Damon's is in the same category as someone else we know very well.** I won't say who!

I also hope those of you two are True Blood fans like my homage to the show by using it's theme song lyrics to introduce a Damon chapter. If you haven't heard that song, go give it a listen – it is clearly a very good theme song for Damon.

Thoughts?

**Also, I put up my beta reader profile if anyone needs a beta for various reasons - one shots, your beta is busy, etc..it's up so go read it if you or someone you know needs a beta. Just PM me. **


	14. when I'm in this dream

_Baby, is it pulling on your heart  
Is it tearing you apart  
Don't go looking in my eyes tonight  
Don't go telling me lies tonight  
Don't go promising the skies tonight  
'Cause you're crazy beautiful_

_Crazy Beautiful – Hanson_

_~*~_

Alright guys, I just HAD to give you another chapter in honor of it being Friday. A weekend treat, if you will. **I have a goal to hit 100 reviews by Sunday – think you could help me out? Please? **

We get to see a little more of flirty Stefan in this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it! By the way, I posted a little collage on my twitter account (**TwilightCakes**) of what I picture the Denali coven and their home to look like. Go check it out! If anyone watches 'Modern Family' on ABC, the woman who plays 'Gloria' on that show is who I wrote as Carmen, so I hope I did her justice!

Also, don't forget to **check my author profile for updates** about what I'm working on. You can also add me on Twitter to see what I'm up to writing-wise as well. I've also decided that since I'm currently 'unemployed' (yay) I have spare time to **offer my services as a beta. My profile is up, so take a look if you or someone you know needs a beta.** I would be willing to be a fill in beta too.

Alright, sorry for the long author's note. Read on!

* * *

After checking her phone and seeing the big zero in 'zero messages' stand out to her like it was a neon sign, she wasn't really in the mood for breakfast.

_Joke is on me, I guess…_

Her stomach lurched when she thought about Jacob and how far away he was. She wanted to talk to him very badly, but her pride kept her from dialing the number.

_I've already put myself out there for him…it's his turn to come to me. I don't think I could stand it if he shot me down again! I've been humiliated enough,_ she thought bitterly as she walked down the hall.

And it was true. As much as her fingers wanted to dial those familiar ten digits, she couldn't make them do it. Every time she thought about what had happened that night in the woods it made her sick to her stomach to picture the look on his face afterwards. Even though her heart ached from missing him so much, it was her stubbornness that kept her from picking up the phone.

Jacob had looked like he was going to either run screaming for the hills, or throw up. _Or a mix of the two, with my luck, _she thought. It wasn't hard to tell that he hadn't been thrilled. Still, as many times as she had played the scenario out in her head, it still came down to one major point: it had been _his_ idea to kiss in the first place. HE was the one who wanted to 'try something'.

She hissed to herself in frustration as she trudged towards the kitchen.

She walked down the stairs and was greeted by Carmen scolding her father over the waffle iron. Edward looked up at her as she walked into the kitchen, having heard her hiss of distaste as she was coming down the steps. He looked at her for a split second, his face full of fatherly concern. She looked at him and shrugged casually, not wanting him to make a big deal of it.

Edward pressed his lips into a thin line and watched his daughter walk into the kitchen. Concentrating for a moment, he slipped into the old habit of listening for her thoughts, just so he could possibly hear what the problem was and fix it. He was greeted by the same deafening empty sound that had blocked his wife's thoughts since he met her.

"Edward! You do many things perfectly my boy but 'zis is not one of zem!" Carmen yelled, snatching the bowl of batter out of Edward's hands. He jokingly winced and cowered away, letting Carmen take the lead. Her Spanish accent was usually absent from her speech, but when she was worked up it came roaring back for a comic effect.

"You better love these damn waffles!" Carmen joked to her, wagging her finger at Renesmee.

"Whoa, I just eat them," Renesmee replied as she walked into the kitchen. Stefan, Bella, and Edward now sat at the kitchen counter where Carmen was attempting to cook food. She blushed slightly as she noticed all eyes were on her.

_Great._

Bella smiled sympathetically at her daughter; she hated the spotlight just about as much as she did. She patted Renesmee's hand as she took a seat at the counter to wait for her breakfast.

"Sleep well?" Bella asked.

"Yes, that bed was _wonderful_ Carmen- I need one of those memory foam beds for home!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's good someone does!" she joked. Renesmee always was sure to compliment Carmen on her material things - like Alice and Rosalie, shopping and buying gifts were some of the few things that gave her joy in life.

"I'll have to take your word on that," Edward said, giving his daughter a grin. Carmen continued to pour the batter into the un-used waffle iron and grinned to herself.

Renesmee had grown fairly close to Carmen over the years; she reminded her of Rosalie in a lot of ways, especially when it came to shopping. Renesmee had earned a place in both of their sadly dead hearts, but even that didn't distract from their fierce, vibrant beauty. You just didn't want to piss them off, however. All the fierceness and fire would come back to bite you in the butt.

"So what did I miss last night?" Renesmee asked, looking around the kitchen.

"Stefan and Tanya spend most of the night testing out our gifts," Belle said with a laugh.

"I just can't get over the idea of someone reading minds! It's something out of a movie still to me," Stefan admitted. "Luckily Edward didn't mind indulging me a few hundred times last night."

"No problem, after almost a century of doing it, I'm used to it amusing people," Edward laughed.

"It never amused me," Bella muttered.

"Something you never let me forget!" Edward exclaimed, kissing Bella sweetly on the cheek. Renesmee felt a pang of sadness in her heart as she watched her parents' affectionate exchange. Her mind briefly wandered to Jacob, but she pulled her attention back to focus on the conversation.

"You alright love?"

She hadn't fooled her father one bit. Not an eye in the room missed it when Edward's glance went from Renesmee to Stefan and back to his daughter.

Renesmee glanced over at Stefan, knowing that her father must have picked something of interest out of his mind just then.

_If dad looked at him like that, he must have been thinking something about me…right?_ She asked herself. She felt her heart speed up with embarrassment and her cheeks start to fill with blood as she blushed. She tried quickly to change the awkward state of the kitchen to one that was more casual.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine. Just hungry! Those waffles smell great, Carmen,"

"I wasn't sure if you would like my cooking, eh? But, I do try," she replied. "I followed the directions on zis silly box!" she added, shaking the box of pancake mix at her sourly.

"And she got mad at me because I didn't know how to pour a perfect waffle!" Edward playfully fumed, tossing an orange from the bowl in front of him at Carmen. She caught it mid-air without even looking up from her cooking.

"I thought you didn't like food that was bland," Bella pointed out to her daughter. Renesmee's eyes trailed over the kitchen counter before carefully picking up the small container of sugary syrup and holding it up for her mother to see. Bella rolled her golden eyes and smirked at her daughter.

"I should have known…you and your sugar…"

Renesmee giggled at her vampire family and her eyes caught Stefan's. He smiled at her politely before standing and pulled out the chair next to him.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome," he said softly, shyly taking his seat again.

"So how do you like my family?" she asked, elbowing him in jest.

"I watched Alice and Edward play a game of chess...well, sort of watched," Stefan admitted. "Now _that _was an experience."

"Oh boy, yeah..You haven't seen anything till you've seen that shit-show," Renesmee said, rolling her eyes.

"Ness," her mother warned her. Both of her parents hated it when she swore. She didn't have time to retort before breakfast was served.

"Eat up, Nessie," Carmen said, dropping a slightly burnt waffle on the plate in front of her. Renesmee looked up at her questioningly.

"I do what I can," She said, giving her a shrug and a wink.

She took a large bite of the waffles after smothering them with plenty of syrup, noticing that every eye in the room was on her. She chewed as daintily as she could manage before swallowing and looking up at everyone. "Is something wrong?" she asked slowly.

All four vampires in the room laughed quietly before her mother spoke. "We were just talking about foods that we miss sometimes," Bella answered her.

"Really?" she asked, looking at the four of them.

"I miss food…I think more than I miss sleep," Stefan admitted with a laugh. "It's actually nice to watch someone eat again."

Renesmee giggled a bit before stabbing another forkful of food. "Then let me indulge you some more," she quipped before another mouthful.

After breakfast, Renesmee found herself a tad bit bored. She was trying, however, to not appear to be bored however - one of the very few 'human' traits her father possessed was the ability to assign her some studying to do or a book to read if she appeared bored.

She was walking from room to room in the huge house, looking at everything and nothing in particular. Before too long, she found herself in the library, browsing through the endless book titles.

Eleazar was almost as old as Carlisle, and his library boasted this aspect. The large room was lined with so many books and journals detailing his life and travels that she didn't even know where to start. She ran her fingertip down the spines of the books of one row, her eyes glazing over slightly as her mind wandered somewhere else.

Stefan.

The young vampire had been on her mind since she met him, and it was no wonder why. He was handsome and debonair, yet slightly mysterious to her. She had never met another 'young' vampire before, and it was almost refreshing to have someone to talk to that hadn't been alive for over half a century.

_And those eyes!_

Her heart fluttered when she thought about his beautiful green-rimmed golden eyes and pleasant yet musky pine scent. _His tall, lean body didn't exactly take away from his appeal either. _

"Looking for something?"

Stefan's voice startled her slightly, as much as she hated to admit. Her cheeks filled with blood as she was silently thankful he did not possess the same mind-reading gift as her father.

_That would have been mortifying for him to come in and catch me thinking about his eyes…and how he pleasantly smells like pine needles and soft, worn leather…oh god._

She quickly snapped her attention back to talk to him before she looked even sillier than she already felt.

"No, just admiring Eleazar's library - this place is huge!" Renesmee said, gesturing towards the endless rows and shelves full of books. The library was a large, wood paneled room with a fireplace and sitting area in one corner, a large set of windows that went up to the ceiling, and tall shelf after shelf of books.

"It is rather large, yes," he said with a quiet laugh. She noticed how his yellow-green eyes were very expressive with his emotions - when he was shy, they were shy. When he laughed, they seemed to dance. Just like now.

"Do you know how he has them organized?"

"That's a part I haven't quite figured out yet - but I do know that the oldest ones are in this section," he said, gesturing to the shelves by the fireplace.

"Oh okay...I noticed he had them organized a little differently than I'm used to."

"Yes, well, I've been here for almost two years now and I still have yet to figure it out, so don't feel bad," he said as he walked closer to her. She watched as his pale fingers reached out to casually brush the shelves as he walked past.

"Eleazar was very gracious to me when I was first changed. He let me spend a lot of time in here, just reading."

"Were you a rambunctious newborn?"

"Not really...I was more afraid of hurting anyone more than anything to be honest."

"That's good," she replied. "You sound like my mom."

It was always hard for her to picture even her most kind and serene family members killing people - but she knew that it had happened on occasion. Just picturing sweet, delicate Esme accidently killing a wounded hiker made her shudder. Quickly, she pushed the image out of her head to continue talking to Stefan.

"Yes, well....Eleazar and Carlisle think it's because I knew for a few short minutes what I was about to become before Tanya changed me. He thinks that it has something to do with mental preparation as well - like it was engrained in me for some reason."

"That's not strange. I don't know if my mother told you, but Carlisle has the same theory about her. She had very good control when she was a newborn as well, and he thinks that's it's because she was mentally prepared for what was going to happen. He thinks her brain had time to process it, and therefore she knew what was expected of her. I'm really proud of my mom, she's never killed anyone. Not that I expect everyone to never kill...I mean, I know it's a part of our nature but...." Renesmee's eyes drifted up to meet his and she blushed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm rambling,"

"No, its fine," he replied, dropping his hand from the bookshelf next to him. "I enjoy hearing about you."

"Oh," she answered, an even larger flow of blood rushing to blush her cheeks with color. She wanted to change the subject.

"I feel like Belle, from 'Beauty and the Beast', you know that part where she gets to explore the library he gives her?"

"Yes, I do recall that movie. My little sister used to make me watch it. I do remember that part," he admitted.

"Oh, you have siblings other than your brother?"

"Yes, one sister. She's about fourteen now I would guess. Foggy...you understand," he replied.

"Sure, sure," she said. She could sense sadness about him as he talked about her. "I used to make Jacob watch all my Disney princess movies with me when I was little...well, like five years ago!" she said with a laugh, hoping to lift the mood of the room.

"Who is Jacob?"

She jerked her head up in surprise. _How did no one tell him about Jacob?_

"They didn't tell you about Jacob?" she asked, turning her head to the side in question.

"No, not that I remember."

She shook her head in amazement. "I can't believe my nosy family didn't talk about him…they usually can't wait to discuss my life," she said sourly.

Stefan looked at her, blinking his expressive eyes in confusion. "Is he a vampire?" he asked.

"No, no...He's...a shape-shifter actually," she replied slowly, watching his reaction. Vampires were not usually pleased to learn about the existence of werewolves, their natural enemy. She wanted to make sure he understood that Jacob was indeed not a real, 'true' werewolf, but something else entirely. However, Stefan's face remained neutral.

"Shape shifter?"

"Yes...he...turns into a wolf. He can phase, or change, as they call it."

"A were wolf?" he asked, his body stiffening slightly.

"No no! A lot of people think they are werewolves, but they're not. It's just a coincidence that it's wolves. No...They're just shape-shifters."

"Oh, I see...like I said, you'll have to forgive me...even after two years, this is all very new and foreign to me."

"I understand," she replied. "It must be difficult to adjust. I wouldn't know...I was just born this way."

"I do envy that. To never know another way would have definitely been easier,"

"That's what my aunt Alice says sometimes...but I don't buy it."

"Why is that?"

Renesmee paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose it's because she doesn't remember her human life at all - and as a result she feels like it's a hollow place in her heart where that life used to be. She still is happy - but I know that a few years ago she found out a few details about her human life that were anything but happy...I think she feels torn."

"Yes well...we all do," he said glumly. He looked up at her, meeting her gaze again. She felt a shiver go down her spine.

_Do vampires shiver? _She thought to herself.

"So you told me _what _Jacob was, but you never told me _who_ he was."

"Oh, sorry...like I said, I tend to babble." She picked a book off the shelf to examine as she spoke. "Jake is my best friend. He's like a big brother to me...but …"

He looked at her curiously, flipping the book he held over in his hands absently. "But?" he asked.

"But…lately that's been...different."

"Well which is he?"

"Hmmm?" she asked, looking up from the book she was thumbing through.

"You said he was your best friend, your big brother, and your...boyfriend?"

Once again, she jerked her head up to look at him, her mouth slightly gaping open in shock. _He wanted to know what Jacob was to her!_

"He's...well...he's....-"

"I'm sorry," Stefan said, holding his hands up. "I shouldn't have pried into a personal matter like that."

"It's okay...I guess that's part of the problem. It's also kind of why we're up here too,"

"Your father said you needed at get-away, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to why you needed one," he admitted shyly.

"Yeah, well...it's a long story really."

Stefan smiled, picking one of the paperweights from the collection on the coffee table. He turned it over in his hands, looking at it absently. "Well you know, that's the beauty of our kind - we kind of have all the time in the world for long, complicated stories."

She smiled at him, amused. He obviously wanted to know more about Jacob.

"Well, I'll give you the short version, at least for now."

"That works," he said, placing it back on the table.

She heaved a sigh, looking out the tall windows. "Jacob is...and always has been my best friend. He's been there since I was born - he is one of the first memories I have as a newborn. He's always been there,"

"So, you don't want him around anymore?"

"No, that's not it at all…he was my mom's best friend before she was changed, and I suppose he still is....but…lately things have been different between us."

"Soooo….you guys don't get along like you used to?" he prodded, waving a hand to further her talking. She smiled at him as she fiddled with the book in her hands.

"Well, there's more. It's just that lately, it's been hard; especially at the rate my life is changing. I barely have enough time to get used to being one age before I keep growing and I'm another age.

"Yes, your father told me you are an advanced ager. That's too bad - childhood is precious."

"Yes...something they never let me forget."

"This again?" he teased, referring to her 'overprotected' argument. He grinned at her playfully again, his green and gold eyes twinkling. Renesmee couldn't help herself – this was the topic that really sent her off the edge.

"They treat me like I'm a baby! Like I'm breakable! I am half vampire for heaven's sake..."

"Well, they're just trying to be careful with you is all. You're their little girl."

Renesmee shot him a dirty look from his position in one of the big armchairs near the fire. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. She softened her look, and spoke again.

"It's just that, whenever I do anything, they all say, 'Nessie don't, you're six! Nessie don't, you're not seven yet!"

"So?"

"So they say it to me like I should know what that means; like I should know what kind of acceptable behavior for a six year old should be - when I was six years old I looked like a teenager!"

"Sounds complicated," he said.

"Tell me about it. Well anyway, Jake is my best friend, and he was also best friends with my mom before and I guess after she was changed; but he's always been around. He's frozen at seventeen, like I will be soon as well. Well, sort of - physically I'll always look about seventeen, and I guess he will be too. Well lately...things had been changing and I didn't know what to think,"

"Changing how?"

Renesmee sucked in a breath, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pictured Jake's kisses and arms tightly around her body...

"Let's just say...less 'friend-ish'."

"Ah, I see," he replied, giving her a knowing look.

"But he's not your..boyfriend?"

She tried not to blush as she shook her head. "N-no," she mumbled.

"Oh," he said softly, averting his eyes.

Renesmee tried to focus to slow her thrumming heart. _We may be a vampire and a half vampire, but we're still a lot like awkward teenagers. Geez. _

"Yeah, so...after things changed and Jake left-"

"Left?'

"He went to college. And we haven't spoken since," she replied, looking over at Stefan. She decided to leave out the part about the kiss for the moment. She noticed him smile at her kindly, and her heartbeat sped a little as she caught herself smiling at him, too.

_Oh great, he can hear that. How embarrassing for everyone to be able to hear my stupid fluttering heart! _

"That must have been tough to handle…being separated from a friend is never an easy thing," he said.

She bit her lip as she thought, listening to him speak. _He's more than my friend…but he doesn't need to know that._

"It did. He means a lot to me and to have to go this long without talking has really taken its toll on me, as much as I hate to admit it," she said shyly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. She looked up to see Stefan watching her; listening intently. It felt good to be able to finally talk about this with someone that was a lot closer to her own real age.

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it."

"Well are you going to try to talk to him?"

Renesmee thought a moment. "You know, I never could picture not talking to him. But that was before...everything else happened."

_Now I'm not so sure..._

"If you're going this crazy not talking to him, why don't you just call him?" Stefan asked softly, taking one of her warmer hands in his cool one. She knew that it was intended to be an innocent, comforting gesture, but she couldn't ignore that increasing pattern of her fluttering heart as she looked up at him. He gave her a sympathetic look, and she glanced down quickly at their intertwined hands.

Suddenly, Jacob was at the back of her mind, and for the first time, that didn't necessarily bother her.

* * *

After her conversation with Stefan in the library, he had excused himself for his errand of taking some of her family members on a hunting trip. She had left the library rather quickly after that, disturbed by her revelation. She wasn't sure what it meant that she didn't worry about Jacob when Stefan was around…and she certainly didn't think about him when he had taken his hand in hers. She had never experienced the touch of a full vampire in a romantic way before. Vampire hands had always belonged to family members, so that was how she had associated the feeling.

Hot hands were usually what she associated with the warm, tingling feeling in her stomach that made her feel like flying.

The touch between them had been so small and innocent, and completely not worth all the overanalyzing she was currently engaged in, but she didn't care anymore. Thinking about Stefan helped her to not think about Jacob and worry about what Jacob was doing at college, thousands of miles away. She quickly pushed all thoughts of her best friend out of her mind to finish her private tour of the Denali home.

With nowhere to be, she wandered the house for a while, just exploring. When she made it to the third floor, she paused when out the window she saw Kate, sitting on one of the peaks of the roof of the wing that extended out from the house to only the first and second floors.

She watched as Kate tucked her silvery blonde hair behind her ears, signing heavily. She appeared to be staring into the setting sun, the warm beams of light bouncing off of her diamond skin.

Renesmee caught the scene of lilac and honeysuckle; Carmen was approaching. She came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She's mourning the loss of her man," Carmen said with a sad voice.

"Garrett?" she asked, looking into Carmen's golden eyes. She nodded, her long, flowing black hair swaying gently.

"Ay, yes....she does this every few days. Just sits up there and watches; it's like she awaits his return."

"How sad," Renesmee said softly. Her heart ached for the grieving vampire; Kate hadn't seemed like herself ever since the Cullens had arrived in Alaska. She was different; sadder, somehow.

"Yes, it truly is. She was given this life and the gift of immortal beauty, yet she chooses to spend too much of it mourning and passing the time."

"Mourning?" Renesmee asked, looking back at Kate. She now had her head bowed towards her lap in sadness.

"Yes....she mourns the one who left her in the night and has yet to return...she thought she had found a mate in the American soldier. She was nothing short of devastated when she discovered he had left her."

"But why did he leave?" Renesmee asked. She reached up and showed Carmen all of her memories of Kate and Garrett laughing, talking, playing, and practicing with the others for the Volturi's visit. Despite the gloomy feelings of everyone around them, the two had bonded and eventually fallen in love.

"Yes, I remember too," Carmen said wistfully. "They were so in love. I thought that when he returned here with us that he would stay for good, but….I guess I was wrong," she said with a shrug.

_Gee, she fell in love with a perfect guy and then he screwed everything up by leaving? Hmmm, sounds familiar,_ Renesmee thought bitterly.

Carmen looked at the sad vampire as she sat on the roof, her own eyes turning melancholy just from watching her.

"We are not creatures who take to change, Nessie. We live how we live and if something or someone comes along to change us, it is once in a lifetime. And I mean that," she said, waving a finger at her. Renesmee gave her a lethargic smile, blinking slowly as she watched the Spanish vampire look at her adopted daughter with sadness.

"He had been a nomad his whole existence…and still is one today I guess. He left her; he couldn't commit to this life, where we abstain from the human blood and live in our one house, always. He couldn't do it…" Carmen trailed off.

Renesmee followed her gaze back out to Katie, who looked like a statue of a model, frozen on the peak of the roof, shimmering in the setting sunlight like a beacon.

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard of…" Renesmee admitted quietly.

Her heart broke for the normally happy, spunky yet sassy vampire. Renesmee felt guilty being around Katie and actually feeling bad for herself. She and Jacob had been friends for a long time, but her childhood crush on her best friend did not come close to comparing the love that had been lost between Kate and Garrett. They had found each other unexpectedly in Forks, two lonely people with no hope for finding love. He had been without another half for over a century; her over a millennia. Just thinking of being alone for that long nearly brought tears to Renesmee's eyes.

_This life would not mean anything to me if Jake wasn't in it. This is so stupid…I should talk to him….._ She thought. Carmen rubbed her arm lovingly, clicking her tongue in sadness and frustration for her adopted daughter.

She looked at Kate again, then back to Renesmee. "Now don't you go being a love-sick puppy like that, _chica! vale?"_

"No, I won't," Renesmee laughed as Carmen playfully ruffled her hair. She sighed and looked at Renesmee, her expression growing playful.

"Oh, I remember when little Nessie was just a little girl, following around her big wolfy-friend that scared the rest of us so. _My Jacob_ this! _My Jacob_ that!"

Renesmee rolled her eyes and swatted at Carmen, who darted out of the way with a giggle.

"Ay! I kid, I kid!" Carmen said. "But Kate is not the only one who worries me these days."

"What do you mean?"

"Your daddy did not tell me why you come up here to see us, but I see anyway," she said. "I see it in your sad eyes. Something bad happen with '_My Jacob'_, did it not?"

Renesmee sighed, looking out at Kate again. "Yes, Carmen, you got me. Something did happen...and I find myself feeling a lot like Kate these days."

Carmen cocked her head at the young girl, looking her up and down. "You do not let this 'Jake' boy get your down. Something tells me a pretty thing like you will be just fine," Carmen said, patting Renesmee on the cheek.

Renesmee smiled at her friend, unsure of what to say. Looking back at Kate as she stared into the setting sun, she silently hoped that the pain of the beautiful vampire would soon be relieved. She also hoped that she wouldn't be the next to suffer the way Kate had.

Unfortunately, only time would tell.

* * *

Renesmee went back upstairs to her bedroom with the books she had selected and put them on her bed after talking to Carmen. She flopped down next to them and laid there for a moment, just listening to the sounds in the house. Jasper, Emmett, Edward, Eleazar, and Tanya had all decided to let Stefan show them his swimming route to St. Lawrence Island, and they were all going to try marine hunting. Secretly, Renesmee felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of any of the others returning home with emerald rimmed eyes like Stefan had. They were absolutely breathtaking in color, unlike any she had ever seen before.

_Why should I care if anyone comes back with green tinged eyes? I shouldn't...so why do I feel jealous? I'm losing my mind!_

She was losing her mind indeed. Picking up her cell phone, she barely registered the number that her fingers dialed at vampire speed. The first ring she heard made her heart jump and break the trance she was in.

_What am I doing? I'm calling Jacob when HE should be the one calling ME!_

She snapped the phone shut quickly, immediately regretting the call. Even though she had only waited long enough for it to ring once, she knew that it would show up on his call log. What was she going to say to him then?

She dropped her eyes to the pattern on her bedspread, staring blankly at it.

She liked Stefan. Stefan was…flirty, and charming, and interested in her. It was very nice for a change to have someone to talk to about everything, and someone who was genuinely interested in hearing what she had to say. Stefan was a great listener, and practically hung on her every word, unlike Jake. Sometimes it seemed to her like Jake wasn't even listening when she talked about wanting to escape from Forks and explore the world that she had only heard about.

Jake was her best friend, but Stefan actually paid attention to her in _that_ way. And it was nice to have someone pay attention to her and treat her like she wanted to be treated – like she was interesting and beautiful.

_Stefan treats me like…a woman. Jake…treats me like his little sister that he got stuck babysitting. It's like he and my dad have a pact to make sure I never have any fun…_

She looked at her phone and sighed. If Jake called, what would she have to say to him?

* * *

Okay, I left you with a bit of a cliffy. Thoughts?

**I'd love to hit 100 reviews with this chapter! *shameless cough***

**I also didn't hear much about my Damon chapter…**I know a lot of you are looking forward to Damon, but it will be a little while before he graces us. I needed to give Stefan time for his relationship to develop with Nessie. I feel like making it a little longer would be better than rushing things.

Also, some people are a bit confused about my characters and how they come across. **It's early in the story and the characters will develop. ** Nessie is supposed to be a naïve. Bella is supposed to be a little over-emotional. Edward is supposed to be an overprotective dad. Rosalie is supposed to be selfish and have a one-track mind. Stefan is supposed to be slightly awkward and have low self esteem. Jacob is frozen between 17-18 and is supposed to do stupid things that any teenage boy would do in a relationship. Okay? : )

A HUGE thank you to my staple reviewers - xMaaandii, ImprintMeJake, EliseShaw, jess194, hotmessz, rosietaylorgracelyn17, and the anonymous reviewers (Violet)…You guys make my day! I always look forward to hearing your thoughts on the chapters. And a big shout out to my beta, Rain-It-Shall, who continues to deliver with the awesomeness despite her busy life : )High fives to all of you lovelies! ; )


	15. it's like a million little stars

_Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore  
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind  
For me it happens all the time  
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now  
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now  
_

_Need You Now – Lady Antebellum_

_~*~_

* * *

**A QUICK REMINDER: **

I realize that there is some slight confusion in this, so I want to clear it up for my readers: **Stefan and Damon are now 'Twilight-esque' **vampires in this story. They have no fangs, they have sparkly skin in the sunlight, they have golden (or red, in Damon's case) eyes, and have the same abilities as the Cullen and Twilight characters.

I realize this is confusing, but when I wrote the story originally, that is who I pictured to be some *great* competition for Jake. Sorry for the confusion! But I am glad this is a crossover story because I love The Vampire Diaries and their fans!

_**Remember;**_** no Vampire Diaries talents, storylines, other characters, etc**. **They are Twilight vampires now.** All I borrowed were their personalities and mannerisms, along with their sexy looks. They were just yummy-looking competition for Jake. I was thinking, _hmm if I was Renesmee and Jake was my best friend that I lusted after, who would make me turn my head twice?_ And I came up with these two.

If you don't watch the show, at least Google 'Stefan and Damon Salvatore' so that you can see pictures of the characters. You won't regret it.

_Trust me : )_

* * *

Jacob felt his phone buzzing his pocket, but didn't think too much of it at the moment. Instead, he was sitting in his early evening class, barely able to listen to the lecture.

Carly had been waiting for him outside his classroom that evening, and had asked if he was going to be at a big party on campus this weekend. Truthfully, he had planned on running back to La Push to check in with the shop and hopefully collect his thoughts together enough to talk to Renesmee. However, when she had suggested the party he had felt a slight pang of curiosity. He'd be experiencing a real college party, and with a girl no less.

He had politely declined, squinting and stumbling his way through the conversation with her. The familiar pull in his chest had not-so-politely turned into a dull throb as he briefly considered actually attending the party with Carly. _We could just go as friends. Friends go to parties…_

That was when the throb in his chest had nearly doubled and made him gasp for breath. His heart was trying to tell him something that his mind and body clearly needed to be reminded of. He missed Renesmee, was but still afraid that he had hurt her too badly to do anything about it. He instantly had felt guilty for thinking about going out to a party without her.

_What would Nessie think if she knew what I had planned? She would probably be pretty mad..._

It was a battle that he fought with himself daily. His heart and even his body were aching and suffering, telling him to go to her and beg for forgiveness. They pleaded with him every moment of the day to run to Alaska where she was and throw himself to his knees in front of her and let the magic that bonded them together take over.

_As you should, you pathetic fool, _his mind screamed at him.

Clearly, his mind was a different story. The more he thought about it, the more his jackass stubborn side wanted to come through and tell him to get over it and be a man. _Why should he run to her and plead for her affection like a sniveling idiot? _His pride had been bruised by his own stupid embarrassment and he felt completely powerless.

The battle between the two sides had left him physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.It felt as though his heart had been ripped out and thrown onto the boiling hot pavement; each day away from her that they spent angry with one another felt like a blow to it with a baseball bat.

He had awkwardly declined Carly's invitation and made his way to his next class, trying to ignore the splitting headache that was pounding in his head. For some reason, he just couldn't shake the curiosity that surrounded her offer.

In his next class he shifted in his seat and began tapping his pen on his temple. Why should he care? The last time he checked, he and Nessie weren't speaking. He deserved to be able to go out and experience college - that was why he had left in the first place..._right?_

This was wrong - he knew it. However, the desire to go out and act like any other student here really had him questioning a lot of things.

He had loved Renesmee from the moment he had laid his eyes on her and she had attached her steel-like cables of love to his clouded, dejected, and lonely heart. He had never doubted his love and utter devotion to her ever. Until now.

It wasn't that he didn't love her any less; it was just that a new feeling was rising up in his mind, bubbling up from his subconscious. It was resentment.

Because of Renesmee, he had never experienced most of the things a teenage boy was supposed to. He had had small crushes on girls before, and then a big crush on Bella, but nothing came close to Renesmee.

He resented the fact that he had imprinted on a new born. He resented the fact that he was still seventeen, and had been frozen at such a sexually frustrated age. His body had literally been frozen at the age of _hell on earth _for almost eight and a half years now, and he definitely resented that. He resented the fact that he was still a virgin. He resented the fact that he was the only pack member who had yet to tell his imprint that she was, in fact, his imprint.

Thanks to her overprotective father, he had waited for years longer than he would have originally wanted. However, he knew that if he went against Edward's wishes the rest of eternity with him would be hell. That was definitely enough to motivate him to keep his mouth shut for most of Renesmee's life, however, lately he hadn't been so sure. He was pretty sure that if she was there right then he would have just told her, Edward be damned. Nothing was worth all of this turmoil and uncertainty.

Jacob continued to tap his pen in an annoyed manner, still obviously irritated about his situation.

The guy sitting next to him finally cleared his throat and shot a dirty, annoyed look his in his direction.

"Dude!" he hissed under his breath, glaring daggers at the offensive pen.

"What?" Jacob hissed back, glowering at him. His black eyes narrowed and stared at him until his classmate dropped his own eyes and looked away quickly.

Jacob smiled to himself. He usually wasn't confrontational, but lately it was nice to know that he could still intimidate something if he wanted to.

He moved the pen to his mouth to chew on it as he thought. He had tried to listen to the lecture, but at this point he was so far behind in school that it felt almost impossible to catch up.

_Great...piss off imprint, move all the way to school, fail, move home a failure, and still have pissed off imprint. Super. _

He felt very guilty for having the feelings of resentment that he did towards Renesmee - that wasn't fair to her and he knew it. He knew that she couldn't help being born.

The only person that understood what he was going through was Quil - _Hell, he spent most of his weekends playing pretty princess and 'house' with Claire._

Not that Quil acted like he minded. He just usually smiled like a lovesick fool and went right along with whatever Claire wanted to do. Luckily Renesmee had only been in the stage of princess dresses, dolls, and playing dress up for a few short years before she moved onto reading novels, playing video games, and taking online classes – for high schoolers.

He sighed woefully, thinking of the rest of the pack and their imprints. Imprinting was originally thought to be extremely rare, but his generation had proved otherwise. Almost everyone in his pack had imprinted except for Colin and some of the younger boys. In Jake's opinion, they were too young yet to appreciate an imprint anyway. While Jake was busy hanging out with his mortal enemies, the rest of his pack got to make out and fool around on the beach with their imprints at bonfires. Meanwhile, their Alpha was stuck in a house full of vampires who could either read or feel his lusty thoughts for their little Renesmee. Life just wasn't fair.

Sure, he had kissed Bella before she was changed, and he had fooled around as a teenager with a few girls on the rez, neither of these experiences he was particularly proud of. He thought of Bella as a family member now. The kiss they shared seemed fuzzy and felt like it happened eons ago. That was all behind them now - Bella would hopefully be his mother-in-law someday. _Well, if things didn't shape up with Renesmee she wouldn't, but he could still hope. _

Jacob wasn't entirely innocent. Sure, he hadn't had sex yet, but he had made some progress with a few of his classmates from La Push. A few games of 'Seven Minutes in Heaven', a few clumsy make-out sessions, and one or two times at second base with a girl his age did not exactly make him an experienced man. In fact, it was doing just the opposite. It was making him crazy.

_He had fought tooth and nail with every instinct in his body not to be anything but a gentleman to Renesmee. It had been nothing short of sheer torture for the past few months not to change his relationship with him imprint. And now she and her family were probably so mad at him that she would never want to be around him again anyway. _

He snorted. _If I go see her this weekend, she will probably still be so mad at me she won't even want to talk. Great, maybe she'll banish me from her side and I'll just die of a broken heart. Would that really happen? I'm sure I'll get to find out soon. It would at least put me out of my misery. _

No, he decided, it would probably not be a good thing to go see Renesmee that weekend. She was still obviously more than pissed at him yet.

He had made up his mind. College and all of its experiences had been waiting patiently for him. He wouldn't make it wait any longer.

* * *

Renesmee sat in her usual perch on the window seat of the third floor that night, reading a copy of Beowulf she had found. She smiled but didn't look up from her book when she heard the familiar pitter-patter of a certain pair of footsteps. _Alice_.

"Ulgh, why do you insist on reading all those boring old books all day?!" she complained, jumping onto the cushions with a graceful little hop.

"Alice, I love to read-"

"You get that from your parents," Alice interjected. "But _all three of you _read the same books over and over!"

"Don't you like to read Alice?"

Alice put her small hands on her dainty hips, and began to dig at the soft carpet with her toe. "Yes, but I've read them all. I could tell you every word of that book. I've _read_ it!" she whined.

"You're read them all?" Renesmee asked skeptically, glancing at the cover of the book in her hands.

Alice growled playfully and dug her toes into the creamy carpet under the window seat. "I _lived_ in the attic of a library for almost two years. I've read enough to know how most books end, I'll just say that much."

"What would you have me do Alice?" Renesmee asked, closing the book with a soft _thump._

"I don't know! We could go shopping" she offered, a familiar gleam in her eye.

"Alice, we just went a few days ago! How many outfits could you possibly need to be hanging out in backwoods Alaska?"

Alice pouted, her bottom lip jutting out. "You're right I suppose...I might just go play with the stock market..."

Renesmee laughed at her aunt. "You do that," she said.

"We could online shop!"

"Alice," Renesmee said sternly.

"I know I know…you never want to do anything fun anymore. You're just like your mother, trying to curb my shopping habits," she grumbled, trailed off.

Alice rolled her golden eyes and stood, pausing slightly.

"What is it, Alice?"

Alice's face grew blank, her eyes unfocused for a moment as she stood there, frozen for a few seconds.

"Oh!"

"You always say that when you see something we didn't know was coming..." Renesmee said.

Alice jerked back into motion, her eyes darting over to look at Renesmee. She gave her a perplexed look, and threw a worried glance towards the stairs that led up to where they were sitting. Without a word she leaped up and darted away down the hall.

"You are so odd," Renesmee called out, bending her nose back down to her book.

"I hope you don't mean me?" a voice asked. She turned to look and was met with Stefan's piercing eyes. A mischievous light glowed in them as he stood at the top of the steps.

"Oh, no, I just meant...never mind," Renesmee said, putting her book down. She glanced at her cell phone out of habit, and back up at Stefan.

"Waiting for a call?" he asked.

"No, not really I guess," she replied. _I guess there really is no hope at this point..._

"Well I had a feeling you'd be bored, and I just wanted to know if you'd want to take a run with me to the coast. Your Aunt Rosalie told me you enjoyed beaches, and I thought maybe you'd like to see it?"

_Of course Rosalie would want me to hang out with the dashing new male vampire..._

"Um, sure," she said, glancing at her watch. "It's getting pretty late though. I'll have to ask my dad."

"Sure...I think I saw him in the library with Jasper earlier."

"Okay, well let me just run and ask, and we can go," she said, picking up her sweater and flitting down the steps. Stefan followed as they entered the library. Sure enough, Edward, Jasper, and Tanya were all down there talking, and all looked up when the two of them entered.

"Dad, we were going to go for a run if that's alright," she said. Edward's eyes darted between his daughter and Stefan quickly.

"I'll take good care of her, Edward. I'll have her back before eleven, if that's all right."

Renesmee could tell her Uncle Jasper was testing the mood in the room by the expression on his face. She cleared her throat loudly. He looked up, startled, and gave her a small smile as if to say _'Okay, I'll stop' ._

"Dad?" she pushed Edward slightly. He raised a perfect eyebrow at her, and then at Stefan.

"I could have her back by ten, if that would be better," Stefan amended.

Edward paused a moment, then nodded. "That'll be fine. Just be careful."

"Thanks Dad. We won't be gone long," she said, grabbing the front of Stefan's shirt and dragging him out of the room. She tried not to notice the smug look of her Aunt Rosalie or the questioning look from her mother as they darted out of the house and into the quickly darkening woods.

"What was that about?" Tanya asked, looking between Edward and Jasper, who still stood frozen in the middle of the library.

"Well, what did you read from him?" Jasper prodded, looking at his brother questioningly.

"Nothing too bad. He does lust after her, but nothing that worries me especially," Edward said.

"I was getting some...rather lusty feelings coming from _her _as well," Jasper added.

"What?" Tanya asked, jumping up from her chair.

"Tanya, they're two young, adolescent people who have just met, it's only natural," Jasper said, trying to calm the riled up vampire.

Tanya frowned to herself as her thoughts ran wild and echoed in Edward's head.

_Sure, he won't go for a beautiful, mature woman who KNOWS how to treat a man. Instead, he falls for an inexperienced little half-breed girl who-_

"Tanya, _that's enough_," Edward said shortly, not even bothering to look up at her. He was used to her feelings of jealousy - but just not directed at his daughter.

"I'm sorry, Edward..." she began, twisting her hands together nervously. He gave her an annoyed glance and then looked back out the double doors that lead to the backyard.

"I understand your displeasure, but please understand that the most they can be is friends. Renesmee is Jacob's imprint, remember?"

Jasper crossed his arms and looked at Edward with one eyebrow cocked, then looked at Tanya. She still looked confused.

"I know you are upset that Stefan did not show the feelings towards you that you wished - that I can't help. However, I do know that Renesmee cares deeply for Jacob. I have seen the impact of this imprint and I'm confident that they will end up together."

"You say this after they have been separated for weeks now and your_ own wife blocks you from hearing her_!" Tanya hissed.

Edward nodded, looking out the wide windows of the library as he watched his daughter sprint to the edge of the lawn with Stefan right behind her. _He hoped that he was right and not terribly, terribly mistaken. _

* * *

Alice clicked through the internet pages full of flower arrangements, tapping her finger lightly on the side of her head as she browsed. She was trying to decipher the still swirling pictures in her visions of the flowers at Renesmee's birthday party.

_I suppose I have a few days before I have to worry about that…_ she thought. _I just wish it wasn't so hard for me to see her! At least I don't have those damn dogs hanging around anymore to completely block my sight,_ she thought to herself in her head.

It wasn't that Alice minded the wolf pack, their presence just made it very hard for her to _see._ She certainly didn't dislike them the way Rosalie did. After all, anything that made Renesmee happy made Alice happy.

She was sitting in the rarely used kitchen, scouring through her laptop for various party ideas for her niece. Her birthday was still about a week away, but Alice wanted to get a head start on the party planning. It was so exciting to finally have someone around that could tell her what birthday cake tasted like! Alice had never grown tired of organizing parties and holidays that could now include food thanks to Renesmee and her love of all things sweet tasting.

_Oh! That cake will be perfect! How many will I have to feed? _She thought. She began counting werewolves in attendance in her head, but stopped sadly when she realized that there probably wouldn't be any werewolves in attendance this year. They were usually more than happy to take care of eating any cake and ice cream Alice set out.

Once her mind began thinking about werewolves, her thoughts drifted to a certain werewolf that she didn't see coming to the party.

_I wonder what that mangy mutt is up to at college…._ She thought, squinting her eyes as she tried to catch a glimpse of him. The image looked like a mud puddle that was being stirred. She growled shortly at herself in frustration and went back to trying to see Renesmee's birthday party. She didn't see Jacob there at all.

_If that stupid dog misses her birthday party, she will be crushed. Absolutely crushed. _

A vision of a somber looking Renesmee skipped to the front of her mind, the image still slightly muddy and unclear, but it was enough.

_Yes, this will have to be fixed. _

* * *

The next afternoon, Stefan stood inside the glass doors of the library, watching as Renesmee fought playfully with her Uncle Emmett on the lawn outside. He was absolutely enchanted with her. Renesmee brought an air of excitement and change to his life that he never thought he would feel again. She had completely turned his life around just by showing up and offering him a friendly ear to talk to. Renesmee felt the same way he did about a lot of aspects of vampire life – the solitude mainly. Ever since she showed up, he no long felt like his life was to be an endless stream of nothing but self control and hiding. He was captivated by her beautiful skin as it twinkled subtly in the late afternoon sunlight. Her bronze hair flowed behind her as she shook with laughter and flew to pounce on Emmett's broad shoulders.

Their outing the day before had been wonderful – they had talked and walked along the rocky beach for hours , just connecting with one another.

_I'm envious she can go out in the sunlight…her skin isn't enough to keep her trapped in the darkness for all eternity. God, she's gorgeous, _he thought to himself as he watched her. He fiddled absently with the book in his hands as he tried to pry his eyes away from her, but to no avail.

He had been in the library all afternoon, sifting through Eleazar's endless collection of books. One of the only things that kept him from going completely mad his first year here, confined to this log cabin, had been the reassurance that he could escape into the world of literature whenever he pleased.

He was so intent on watching the half vampire frolic and play on the lawn that he was actually startled when a gust of air announced Rosalie's entrance into the room.

"See something you fancy?" she purred, playfully jabbing his side with her finger. He laughed quietly, afraid that Emmett and Renesmee would hear him through the glass.

"You caught me," he said quietly, ducking away from the doors.

She giggled, her laugh tinkling and echoing in the large room. "It's okay…she fascinates all of us I'm afraid," Rosalie admitted. Her eyes grew even more mischievous. "But you seem to have taken quite a liking to her," she added.

Stefan looked at her, glad that he couldn't blush. "I…I think your niece is very….attractive," he finally spat out. She gave him a questioning look, and a smile broke onto his face. He shyly rubbed his neck, averting his eyes from hers.

"You're a bad liar," she stated, crossing her arms.

"I'm not lying!" He defended himself, his mouth dropping open. His lips soon turned upwards into a smile, unable to lie to the beautiful vampire in front of him.

"Not yet, no," she replied, stepping closer to the young vampire. "You like her."

Stefan glanced around the corner to look at her. "Her?"

Rosalie snorted. "Don't play dumb with me. Yes, her. Of course her."

He smiled shyly again, unsure of what to say. He finally caved, laughing nervously. "She's gorgeous. What of it?"

Rosalie smiled wickedly, her golden eyes gleaming with excitement. "Why so shy? Nothing wrong with liking her. She's a girl, you're a boy…it's expected," she said.

"What are you, her personal dating service?" he joked, turning the book in his hands over nervously.

"No…I'm just a concerned aunt who sees my lonely niece, and I wish she had someone to…._play with_."

Stefan's eyes widened slightly at her suggestive comment before he composed himself more.

"Are you…suggesting something?" he asked slowly.

She glanced at her niece again, then back at the young vampire in front of her. "I'm just placing the idea in your head, that's all. I'm completely innocent," she replied, batting her eyelashes at him and flashing another dazzling smile.

Stefan laughed nervously, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I thought she had a boyfriend back home, or…something."

Rosalie laughed quickly, waving the idea away. "No! No, no," she said, shaking her head. "He's just a childhood friend…he's very confused. He's not for her…they're….it wasn't ever going to work out anyway," she assured him.

He glanced outside at Renesmee again, who was still attempting to play fight with her uncle. He looked back at Rosalie skeptically, cocking his head to the side.

"You're sure?"

She nodded quickly. "Of course! Trust me…that wasn't going to work out anyway. Stefan….we….have to take opportunities as they arise, our kind," she said softly, gesturing between the two of them.

She continued. "This can be a long, lonely life. If you see an opportunity to spend it with someone, you should. Time doesn't wait for anyone. Especially us," she finished softly.

He looked at her carefully, considering her words. He couldn't deny her; he was lonely, and Renesmee had been a breath of fresh air in his monotonous life in Alaska.

"I'm just afraid that if you wait any longer…" she trailed off, her eyes falling to the ground.

"What?" he asked, egging her on.

Rosalie smiled to herself, knowing that her bait had been taken. "Let's just say that if I would have waited when I found Emmett dying in the woods that night…I would still be alone. I would be wandering this earth by myself and completely miserable for almost a century. Do you have any idea what that would be like? If you think these first two years of your life as an immortal were long, how will year one hundred feel? Year five hundred? You're not an unobservant person, Stefan. You have seen what a millennia alone have done to…_others_," she said softly, keeping her voice hushed. He knew she was referring to Tanya and Kate.

He continued to listen as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I wouldn't want to take that chance. Two years alone at the start of my life was enough for me. It's no secret – this isn't the life I would have chosen for myself. I do not hide my feelings about that particular fact from anyone. But the one shining beacon in all of these long years of my life has been Emmett. Without him….I don't know where I would be right now. And honestly…I would never _want _to know, either," she finished.

He looked at her, her serious topaz eyes boring into his. He had made his decision.

"Alright. What would you suggest I do?" he finally asked, heaving a nervous sigh.

A triumphant smile formed on her ruby lips as she squealed excitedly. _Check mate._

* * *

"The outline and thesis of the paper will be due Wednesday, and the final due date for the completed project will be Friday, which is the tenth…."

Jacob's professor droned on and on about the new assignment that was to be due at the end of that week. He inhaled deeply, trying his best to stay awake during English class.

If he thought he was tired when he first began phasing nine years ago, that was a walk in the park compared to how he felt now. Exhaustion didn't even come close to describing how much sleep he was lacking.

He tried his best everyday to drag himself through his classes, taking naps here and there, but when the night time came, sleep would not. He would lie in bed almost all night, tossing and turning as his chest ached and burned from being so far away from Renesmee. His mind tortured him by showing persistent visions of her when he did manage to sleep; even his dreams were punishing him from leaving her behind in Forks.

He would wake up to the sound of his shrieking alarm every morning, only to stand up and be greeted with dull, throbbing pains in his head and chest that came with Renesmee being mad at him. Nothing sucked worse than having a fight with an imprint and not fixing it right away – the physical toll that it took on him was far worse than any guilt trip in a normal relationship.

He glanced up at the chalkboard and scribbled the due date of his paper on the corner of his exposed notebook page, his pen scratching across the paper.

Suddenly, he did a double take at the date he had just written.

S_eptember 10__th__. Renesmee's seventh birthday. Shit. _

His heart sank. How could he have forgotten that Renesmee's birthday was coming?

_I'm officially the worst imprint ever!_

What should have been a wonderful day full of presents, a party with all her friends, and Jacob delivering the news that he had imprinted on her would instead be a day that they would probably spend apart. Not speaking. _Great._

He sighed and scuttled out of the classroom when they were dismissed, his mind racing with possibilities. He felt completely awful that he had forgotten her birthday was coming up, and he felt even worse that they weren't speaking after what had happened the night before he left.

Once he was back to his dorm room, he collapsed on the bed, covering his face with his arms. _Should he go up and see her?_ Alaska was very far away, and he had never run up there before.

If he did go up, would she even want to have anything to do with him? No, probably not. Not that he could blame her.

"Hey man," His roommate Mike said, swinging the door open. It crashed into the wall with a clatter, making Jacob wince. His head hurt badly enough; the Quileute magic that had made him imprint on Renesmee was undoubtedly still punishing him for his consideration of Carly's offer earlier in the day.

"Hey," Jacob mumbled form the bed. He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair, brushing it out of his eyes.

Mike looked at him as he grabbed his shower basket and towel. "You stayin' in tonight?" he asked. Then, he rolled his eyes. "Like I have to ask."

Jacob stifled a growl under his breath. He normally got along with Mike just fine; however sometimes, the immature boy got on his nerves with his cocky attitude and prying questions.

"No, I gotta catch up on this calc homework…" Jacob mumbled, sitting up to grab his books off the floor where he had tossed him.

"Yeah yeah…you sure you don't have a girlfriend back home? The only guys who stay in on Friday nights are guys with girlfriends at home."

Jacob snorted, shaking his head. _I should be able to tell him 'yeah, I have a beautiful girlfriend who puts all the girls here to shame..' But, I'm a stupid prick and I pissed her off and she's mad at me. _

"No, I don't have a girlfriend," he said shortly. Mike looked at him strangely before slipping his feet into his shower flip flops.

"Okay man..No big deal. You should come out tonight. Gonna be a great party! Kegs, jello shots, and tons of girls…" he said, waggling his eyebrows at him.

Jacob thought a moment, then closed his mouth when he felt the pull in his chest tighten.

"Nah, man, its cool. I got homework," he finally said.

Mike eventually left him to go shower for the night's festivities, and he was relieved He sighed and silently hoped that his roommate would stay out of the room for the entire night so that he could be alone; he just wanted some time to think.

* * *

The same afternoon, Renesmee was sitting in the Great Room by herself, reading _Romeo and Juliet _for the tenth time. Rosalie stood on the balcony above, looking over the railing silently. She tossed her hair with a flourish and retreated to the bedroom that she and Emmett had been using.

Alice appeared soon after, her face full of concern.

"What are you so worked up about?" she asked, walking into the bedroom. Rosalie stood on the opposite side of the room, staring motionlessly out the large windows.

"Nothing," Rosalie answered shortly. She turned around just as Alice's eyes went blank and her body stiffened where she stood.

Rosalie stared at her sister while she had her vision.

_The pictures in her mind swirled together to form a hazy vision of the same dark haired vampire that she had been catching glimpses of lately. He leaped from rooftop to rooftop, moving soundlessly in the darkness that surrounded him. _

_A scent caught his nose, and its appeal was not lost on him one bit. The vampire reeled mid jump and his eyes turned black with thirst. He ran back in a different direction to find the source; it was coming from the alley behind a row of cottages that lined the cobblestone streets._

_He glanced over the side of the rooftop, his black eyes falling to rest on a young girl who was sneaking out of the back or her house. She began to make her way down the dark alley, stumbling slightly as she made her way towards the main street. _

_Soundlessly, he sailed downward, landing a few feet behind her. Feeling the rush of air, she turned and gasped at what she saw._

"_Oh! il mio dio! She gasped in surprise, the Italian phrase spilling from her lips. _

"_Oh my god?" he answered back in English, mimicking her surprise. He gave her a casual shrug. "Well, I suppose I've been called worse," he added sarcastically._

_The girl, still stunned at his sudden appearance, started at him, her mouth gaping. "Bello," she said softly, raising her finger slightly to point at him._

_He chuckled sadistically, his vampire brain quickly translating her shocked Italian. _

"_Beautiful? You think I'm beautiful?" he asked. She gave him an unsure look, but nodded carefully. _

_He snorted, chuckling again. He reached out and grabbed her wrist with vampire speed, kissing the back of her sweaty, nervous hand. _

_She exhaled in pleasure as her eyes watched his lips dance across her skin. _

"_Che la sono??" she asked._

"_What am I?" he asked, echoing her question._

_She nodded, looking at her hand that he still held in his own with question. _

_He paused, cocking his head to look at her quizzically for a moment. "Affamato," he said, using one of the few Italian words he knew. She looked at him strangely, visibly scouring her own knowledge of English._

"_Hun-gry?" she repeated in English, unsure if she understood what he was trying to say to her in Italian. _

_He nodded sadistically, an evil smile forming on his lips. She was still confused for a split second until her mind registered that she was truly in danger as his grip tightened still on her hand. _

_She didn't even have time to scream before he twisted her entire arm back, a sickening crack echoing against the brick walls of the alley where they stood. His razor sharp teeth caught the light from the moon and glinted before effortlessly sinking into her neck. _

She gasped, her body unwinding and returning to normal. Rosalie looked at her strangely; Alice didn't usually look so horrified after seeing things.

"What is it?" she asked slowly, her golden eyes filling with concern.

Alice paused, her vampire mind racing to process what she had seen. The entire vision had been muddled and cloudy, very unlike her normal, crystal clear ones. She usually saw things with pristine clarity, her mind showing her pictures of every minute detail of what was going to happen.

This, however, had been different.

"I…I keep seeing this man…"

"A vampire?"

Alice nodded. "I keep seeing him but I don't know why…"

"You _see_ lots of things," Rosalie snapped, walking over to the closest mirror. Her sour expression instantly improved as she laid eyes on her own reflection.

Alice frowned and turned to walk out of the room. She suddenly wanted Jasper so that he could calm her down and make her feel better about what she had seen. Alice was rarely frustrated or confused due to her talent, and she didn't like not knowing what she was seeing and why she was seeing it.

Rosalie made a face in the mirror and curiously followed her sister downstairs. What was Alice up to?

Renesmee looked up from her reading as Alice approached her, a confused look on the pixie-like vampire's face.

"What's wrong, Alice?" she asked, setting her book down. Alice broke out of her deep thought, glancing over at her niece. She stood beside the couch, frozen.

"Alice?" Rosalie asked, walking into the room.

Alice blinked and looked at both of them, her eyes growing with concern.

"Have you seen Jasper?" she asked to no one in particular.

"He's out on a hunt, why? Alice, are you okay?" Renesmee asked, sitting up slightly.

"I…I just keep seeing a vampire in my visions. I don't know who he is or why I see him. I usually only see people I know. There must be some reason why I'm seeing him."

"So? You've seen random vampires before," Rosalie pointed out.

"Not like this. I just keep seeing him. I have to know why I keep seeing him…."

"Is he…like us?" Rosalie asked, referring to their family's vegetarianism feeding style.

Alice quickly shook her head. "No…no he isn't."

"Oh…well…maybe you just got your mental wires crossed," Rosalie said shortly, her frustration growing.

Alice made a hurt face at her, growing annoyed. "Such a nice thing to say to a former mental patient!" she said.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, waving a hand at her sister. "You know what I mean," she said.

Alice stayed frozen, her eyes gazing off into the distance. Rosalie turned her attention back to her niece, glancing at the book she held in hands.

"You know, your mother used to read that sappy crap all the time," she said in a teasing tone, gesturing towards the tattered copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ that she held in her hands.

"I like it….so what?" Renesmee replied, shrugging.

"You're just like Bella….she read Shakespeare over and over and over…I never cared for him. He's so cryptic. He leaves too much responsibility to the reader to complete the sense and story."

Renesmee looked at her, a smile playing on her lips. "That's what I like…he leaves just enough out that I get to finish it. You almost get to guess on your own what happens sometimes…I like it."

"Sap, _pure_ sap…" Rosalie huffed, shaking her head.

Renesmee sighed, turning the worn book over in her hands. "Don't tell me you haven't read Romeo and Juliet, Rose."

Rosalie shrugged. "Of course I have. I could recite the book to you right _this instant_ if I wished. But I have no need," she finished quickly. "You're the same way – it should be burned into your mind by now."

"It is," Renesmee assured her. "Is that even right to not like Shakespeare?"

Rosalie shook her head, her golden eyes rolling. "He has a few lessons, but most of it is lovesick drabble. It doesn't apply to anything."

Suddenly, Rosalie's words tripped a switch in Alice's mind, her eyes growing blank and her body rigid once again as the vision came to her.

_The night sky was lit up with the light of a million stars and the moon shone brightly, but neither of the two was a comparison with the lights of the aurora borealis that streaked across the night time sky. _

_The colors stretched and bended, decorating the sky with brilliant colors ten thousand times more beautiful than any painting or picture. _

_The two sat in the quiet of a mountain meadow, no sound around them except for the excited thrumming of her heart. They sat sideways on the blanket in the middle of the snowy clearing, a small basket of food at their feet. _

_He looked over at her, his own green-rimmed golden eyes sparkling with anticipation for their outing. He watched as she placed another piece of fruit in her mouth, the blush rising in her cheeks as she chewed. _

"_You're even beautiful when you eat," he breathed softly, his velvety voice breaking the silence. She swallowed and blushed even harder as he watched her. Her fingers picked nervously at the blanket that they sat upon, her heart speeding up to an even faster pace._

"_You shouldn't tell me things like that," she said with a quiet laugh, her brown eyes falling down to her lap._

_He reached a hand out to tentatively stroke hers. "Why is that?"_

_She raised her eyes again, shyly. "Because I might believe you," she said softly._

_There was an audible pause as they gazed at each other, neither knowing what to say. _

"_You're the first thing I've wanted to take a chance on since coming into this life. I can't ignore that," he murmured. His hand moved up to rest gently on the side of her face as he pulled her forward. Her heart skipped a beat before he feverishly let his lips crash into hers in a passionate kiss. _

_Back at home, Rosalie had a feeling that she knew what was going to happen after sending Renesmee and Stefan on their private picnic in the woods under the stars. She rubbed her cold hands together, her golden eyes practically gleaming with satisfaction. _

_No more stinky house…no more werewolves eating the wretched food that we were forced to keep around. No more muddy paw prints on the carpet. No more Jacob. _

_Her plan was complete. _

Alice returned back to the present time from her vision, her golden eyes wide once again in shock. She had gotten her wish – she had seen the futures of two vampires she knew, and it wasn't good.

She looked first at Renesmee, and then at her sister.

"How could you?" she asked, her voice incredulous and quiet. The image of what she had just seen kept replaying in her mind, and she knew what the consequences of that would be. Alice had seen a future that she didn't like, and it was all Rosalie's fault! It had yet to take place, but the fact that Alice had seen it definitely made it a possibility.

Rosalie frowned, unaware that Alice was onto her devious scheming to get Renesmee and Stefan together. But Alice now knew what was going to happen as soon as the decision was made.

"What are you mumbling about?" Rosalie asked casually. Alice's eyes fell back on Renesmee, who was looking at both of her aunts in confusion.

Finally, Alice spoke. The Shakespeare that Renesmee was reading was suddenly _very_ relevant.

She looked back at Rosalie, her tone low and serious.

"These violent delights have violent ends…And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume," she replied from memory.

Her warning tone saturated the air as the two vampires stared at each other, the obscurity of Alice's statement shocking both Rosalie and Renesmee, but for different reasons.

"What's going on?" Renesmee asked, looking at the two of them as they stared each other down. "What?! Alice…"

"Nothing," Rosalie hissed, her eyes narrowing at Alice. She was slightly embarrassed that her sister had chosen to warn her about the foolishness of her future plans in front of her niece.

"Just reciting some cryptic _shit_ that doesn't apply to anything," Alice said slowly, emphasizing each word. Rosalie growled deep in her throat, and Alice laughed bitterly. She glanced at Renesmee quickly before turning and leaving the room.

Alice tried to stop watching the scene in her head, but it wouldn't stop. Blinking rapidly, she rubbed her eyes and tried to shake the image from the front of her mind. She had never wanted to un-see anything as much as what had played out in her head. Renesmee and Stefan together would cause a chain of events to unfold, and her already hazy visions of her niece and her imprint were frustrating enough. If there really was trouble, how would she see it before hand and help her? She wouldn't be able to.

As much as she wanted Renesmee to be happy and have a normal time as a teenager, she knew that if what she had seen really took place there would be a war. However, this time it would not be between vengeful vampires, an army of newborns, or the Volturi.

It would be a war between Stefan and Jacob for one thing:_ Renesmee. _

* * *

Hmmm, so what did you guys think of the future visions that Alice saw? Think it will happen? Has Stefan made up his mind about going after Renesmee? Did Rosalie convince him?

Just to clear it up, Damon is still in Italy, making his way to an airport. He decided to hunt along the way, and found a poor Italian girl to feast on, sadly – that said, I do NOT speak Italian, so if you do and I am terribly wrong with my Italian, I apologize – feel free to correct me, Italian readers!

I also had a few throwbacks to New Moon in this chapter – I was watching it when it was written, and thought it would be cute to add a few of those in there. They were relevant, so I thought – why not?

I also wanted to say that my lovely readers **BROKE MY HIT RECORD** on Sunday – I got nearly double the hits on that day than I normally get on any given day, which is awesome. That means people are reading the story, new people are joining, and hopefully people are telling their friends. **THANK YOU!!!!**** I spent ALL day Sunday parked in front of my computer WRITING for this story because you all have inspired me so much. I mean it – I literally woke up and wrote all day, minus bathroom breaks and meals. I was just so inspired by you all – lovely reviewers especially. I poured over my story outline and added things in, rearranged things, and I am now more excited than ever for this saga. It makes me so happy that you all have taken such an interest in it. **

I also wanted to say that I have read your reviews and have taken them **ALL** into account – notes have been made, future chapters have been altered to fit your requests/constructive criticism/questions, etc. Consider it my 'thank' you for reviewing and leaving constructive comments to help me out as a writer. You all inspire me so much! Okay I'm almost done rambling.

Okay, lastly, a huge thanks goes out to my lovely beta, **Rain-It-Shall** who continues to deliver with her excellent help, tips, encouragement, and timely updates.


	16. spelling our your name

_So babe if you know everything, tell me why you couldn't see  
When I left I wanted you to chase after me_

_I said, "Leave," but all I really want is you  
To stand outside my window throwing pebbles  
Screaming, 'I'm in love with you'  
Wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more  
And don't you leave cause I know  
All I need is on the other side of the door_

_The Other Side of the Door – Taylor Swift_

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Okay, here we get to see Nessie's beach date with Stefan that was mentioned in the previous chapter. It was originally taken out, but I figured you would all like some Nessie/Stefan fans. **And for all the Nessie/Jake fans…it's coming. That's all I shall say on the subject. **Remember, I wanted to give Renesmee and Stefan time to develop their relationship before the real conflict begins. This is going to be a longer story, so this is really still just the beginning. I'd rather have it be a little longer than have things feel rushed.

I did get one comment about the whereabouts of the rest of the family while they're up in Denali – they're around! I try to write little bits and pieces for them here and there, but I figured that the story was long enough as it is. Hope that helps!

Enjoy!

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

After seeing her aunts' spat, Renesmee was very confused. Her family members rarely ever had a serious fight after living with each other for so long – usually the biggest conflict was Emmett messing up someone's hair when he wanted to play wrestle, or Jasper using his gift to make others have silly moods at inappropriate times. Her family just didn't argue.

Rosalie, of course, had her moments where she was extra moody or sour, but that was just…_Rosalie._ Renesmee was used to her overprotective aunt sometimes making a fuss over little things. However, she had never seen anything like this.

_What did Alice mean by spouting off Romeo and Juliet lines to me? _Renesmee thought. It wasn't like Alice to be so cryptic – that was her father's job. She shook her head as she ran the comb through her long, wet locks. After witnessing the argument in the living room, she decided to go up and try to sort out her thoughts in a hot shower.

Her mind went back to the outing she and Stefan had had a few nights ago…

**(Flashback to two days earlier)**

"Thanks Dad. We won't be late!" she said, quickly pressing her lips to her father's cheek softly. He gave her a wry smile and she wasted no time in darting out of the house after Stefan.

He was waiting for her at the edge of the lawn, and he gave her a quick smile before darting off into the darkening forest. She laughed as they ran through the thick Alaskan pine trees.

"What?" He asked, turning to look back at her briefly. Her heart fluttered when he dodged a tree without even looking as he ran. She moved her legs faster and tried to keep up with him. Stefan was quite fast.

"Pine trees, pine trees, pine trees!" she laughed. "Everything here smells like snow and pine trees!'

He smiled and turned his head back around. "I know…it smells nice."

She giggled and churned her legs faster to move up and run just in front of him. She quickly bent one of the pine boughs back and let it go, pummeling him with a branch full of snow. He growled playfully and ran up past her, trying to do the same thing to her. She ducked with a laugh and kept running forward towards the smell of water.

She could hear his feather light footsteps behind her, and she smirked to herself at her feat. He growled again and lunged at her as they raced through the snowy pine forest. Renesmee managed to dodge his vampire speed several times – his inexperience gave her the advantage sometimes, but his speed and agility sometimes gave him the upper hand.

They burst through the forest line and she squealed with delight as her bare feet touched the rocky shoreline of the ocean. Stefan flew out of the trees a millisecond behind her, grabbing her around the waist with a triumphant howl.

"Got ya!" he hollered, locking his iron grip around her. She growled her own playful noise and turned in his grip to face him. They were both laughing and breathless, not from the run, but by the sheer excitement of their run.

As their breaths slowed, she realized that he hadn't let go of her. His steely arms were somehow soft and protecting as they held her close, the only sound around them the crashing waves on the shore.

She looked up into his topaz eyes, focusing on the green rims that were a tell tale sign of his diet. It suddenly felt like her tongue had swollen up so large that she couldn't even form words as they stood on the dark beach. He stared down at her, suddenly as still as a marble statue in a palace somewhere.

_Oh my god, is he beautiful…I bet they could have modeled real statues after Stefan…._

A large wave crashing on the beach seemed to startle him out of his trance, and he loosened his grip around her and broke an awkward smile. "Your cheeks are really red," he finally said.

She gave him a strange look and laughed nervously, unsure what to say. Unfortunately, her mouth had a different idea than her mind.

"Your eyes are really beautiful," she choked out. Her eyes widened a little when she realized what she had just blurted.

He laughed nervously as well, loosening his grip on her. His arms swung down to his sides awkwardly, and she felt her heart rate being to slow down at the loss of contact.

"It's really pretty out here," he finally said. "I used to run up here a lot when I was first changed.

She followed him to the water's edge and they stood there together, gazing out at the waves as they rolled in.

The silence was apparent, but not uncomfortable. She moved her toes against the rocky shoreline, reveling in the feeling of the smooth, round stones beneath her feet.

"I like the rocks here," she finally said. She picked one up, fingering the smoothness of it. The shoreline was littered with millions of oval shaped, flat, smooth rocks.

"Yeah, they do that here…I never knew what made this beach different, but the waves here just do that to the rocks."

She looked at it again before tossing it out into the water, making it skip several times before falling into the blackness. He picked one up, tossing it just as she had, only his skipped for a quarter of a mile. She laughed and shook her head at him.

He was quiet for a moment, but she could tell that he had something to say. "Stefan? What's wrong?" she asked, noticing that his face had grown somber.

He bit his lip softly, and then looked sideways at her, digging his hands in his pockets. "Nothing's wrong…Renesmee," he said slowly, moving so that his own bare feet were touching the water's edge.

A tingle went up and down her spine at the sound of her name falling from his lips. _He called me Renesmee…not Ness, or Nessie…like Jake does. It feels…different to hear my name said like that…he certainly doesn't say it like my mother does! _She thought to herself with a secret smile.

She reached out and poked him playfully in the side, but he was faster. He gently snatched her hand, holding it snugly in his own cool one, causing another shiver to go down her spine.

"Stefan?" she whispered, looking down at their joined hands. Her wide brown eyes flicked back up to his, and she fought a smile as they stood there. He looked at their hands as well, rubbing his velvet thumb over the back of her hand, making goose bumps appear.

"Renesmee…I used to come up here…when I was feeling especially lost at the start of my life like this. I used…I used to look at the waves, the rocks, the moon…and I used to bury myself in despair."

"Why?" she asked gently.

He looked at her briefly before darting his eyes back down to their joined hands. "I used to think about how in a thousand years, everything here will still be the same…the waves, the rocks, the moon…and I would still be the same too. I would just wallow in the idea that I was now like an inanimate object, like the stars. They've been there for millions of years, in the same place in the sky, unmoving, unchanging. I felt like that was what my life would be."

She looked down at the ground, her heart suddenly sad for him. He wasn't wrong.

"I know how you feel," she said. He nodded.

"I know you do. That's...that's what has helped me a lot. You and your family...you've all given me so much hope for the future, when all I used to do was dread it; I used to just sit back and pass the time. It's only been two years for me, Renesmee. These past two years alone have felt even longer than my entire human life. It's just been so…" he trailed off, visibly unsure where to go from there.

"Stefan, you can't suffer like that…I mean…I don't know much, but I do know that much."

He nodded. "Things didn't get really bad for me until Damon…left. He was my brother, my best friend…and then he just left. Tanya and Kate only changed us in hopes that we would enjoy this life and all it had to offer. Things just weren't the same for me after he left. _I_ haven't been the same."

She looked at him, her heart going out to him as he held her hands in his and struggled with his words.

"Maybe you won't have to be alone anymore?" she said tentatively. He grasped her hands tightly, a hopeful look dancing across his chiseled features.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he said softly, brushing his fingers over the back of her palms. Yet another shiver of excitement ran up and down her spine as they stood.

After a few moments he let her hands go, and the two shared a slightly awkward, but comforting silence. They had walked along the rocky shoreline for almost an hour, looking at rocks and half-frozen tide pools. The run home had been almost silent, and he had kissed her cheek goodnight before she walked up to her bedroom slower than she ever had before.

**(End Flashback)**

Renesmee touched her cheek where his lips had been just been two days before. She wasn't sure if she was going crazy or not, but her cheek still felt faintly cold where his lips had been pressed.

She pulled the wide comb through her damp locks, staring blankly at herself in the mirror. The kiss on the cheek and the walk along the beach had been fun – she couldn't deny that. She enjoyed spending time with Stefan almost as much as she enjoyed being with Jake – almost.

Every time she was with Stefan and was living in the moment, her heart soared. She felt free, and interesting, and lusted after. None of those were feelings she had ever had before. Instead, she had always been the one who had lusted after someone else. She couldn't help but feel like this was _her turn. _

Stefan asked about her, her was interested in her, and he made time to do it. He didn't run off to college or to patrol, or tousle her hair and tease her like a little girl.

_When I'm with Jake I feel like his kid sister…a kid sister who is lusting after him. With Stefan…I feel like he can't take his eyes off of me. I feel…wanted…and sexy._

Her mind traveled back to their run home from the beach. They had played in the surf, splashing and running in their own version of tag. Their clothes had clung to their hard bodies as they ran back, and she certainly hadn't missed his gorgeous eyes raking over her body. They ran side by side through the darkness, laughing and flirting with each other as the trees whipped by them.

_He looks at me like he wants me. Like I've never been wanted before…_

She reached down and grasped the bathroom counter as she felt the teasing, nagging, and pleasurable tightening in her core. Closing her eyes, she bit her lip and tried to ignore it as she tried to switch her mind away from the vampire she lusted after so badly. Opening her eyelids slowly, she caught her own gaze in the bathroom mirror and felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

_Jake. _

His name had been on the tip of her tongue for days now, and although she had ignored it successfully for days, she couldn't seem to get it off.

Try as she might, she couldn't shake a sinking feeling in her stomach. It felt like something was off. Her mind instantly went back to her best friend, who was still miles away at college. When his face swirled to the front of her mind, she instantly felt a pull deep in her chest.

Her hand flew to her heart, where the feeling seemed to originate, and her fingers grasped the smooth skin there as she stared at herself in the mirror.

_Damn you, Jake…damn you. Every time I think I could be happy without you…I feel like my chest is being split open. I hate you sometimes….even though I don't really hate you…Oh Jake…._

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Can I come in?"

Renesmee poked her head out of the bathroom, smiling when she saw her mother.

"Sure mom," she said, walking over to sit on the bed. Bella floated in the room, gracefully sitting down to the bed across from her. A small giggle escaped her lips as she watched her mother move with such elegance.

"Something amusing?" Bella asked with sarcastic tinge to her voice. Renesmee pressed her palm to her cheek.

_I know everyone says you used to be clumsy, but I can't picture you being clumsy mom._

Bella gave her a wry smile and rolled her golden eyes. "I'm glad. I don't want to remember it either," she said.

Renesmee laughed and flopped down to her bed to lie against the soft comforter. "So what's up?" she asked her mother. Bella might be a vampire, but it was still obvious when she wanted to talk to her daughter about something specific. "You're not fooling me…I know you must want to talk about something."

Bella sighed, shifting slightly out of habit.

"I know you're a lot like me…and you enjoy your privacy. I realize that…but…you know that I'm here, if you ever needed me, right?"

"I do need you mom. And I am using you – if you wouldn't have shielded me…I shudder to think. It would have been…." She searched for words. Finally, she pressed her hand to her mother's cheek. _It would have been horrible, mom. _

Bella gave her daughter an understanding smile and brushed a lock her copper hair out of her eyes. "You know, your dad doesn't mean to be…how he is. He's just concerned about you."

Renesmee nodded. "I know…but he needs to back off. If he keeps breathing down my back like this…I'm going to go crazy. Every time I walk into a room, it's like I can feel him trying to get around your shield to read what's going on in my mind. He has to stop!"

"Renesmee, he just does it to make sure you're okay…he's very protective of you."

Mom….I've never done anything that a typical teenager-"

"-You're not a typical-"

"I know!" Renesmee snapped, sitting up on the bed. "I know I'm not a typical teenager! You guys never let me forget it!" she wove her hands into her long curls, pulling at her scalp to keep herself from blowing up at her poor mother.

"You guys never let me forget that I'm one of a kind, special, blah blah blah…I get it. I do. I just wish I would be allowed to do something without having one of you trailing right behind me to catch me if I fall. I'm going to be full grown in a few days mom, and in your eyes, I couldn't be further from it."

Bella just looked at her, her large yellow eyes blank. "I guess I deserved that."

Renesmee instantly felt bad for snapping at her kind, selfless mother. "Mom…"

Bella stood silently, darting to the door. "No…it's okay. I'm going to give you're your…space," she said quietly, her eyes falling to the carpet.

"Mom…"

"No, Renesmee, you're right…I'll be here if you need me."

Renesmee watched as her mother silently left, closing the door behind her. She had obviously hurt her mother's feelings, and she couldn't feel any worse about it. Her mother had been kind enough to shield her from her father ever since Jake left, and she was eternally grateful for that.

Sitting back down on her bed, she grasped one of the soft pillows to her chest, hugging it tightly. She felt like a bratty, insolent child. To snap at her mother like that had been nothing short of immature and selfish – the exact behavior she was trying to break away from.

_Great, Ness….act like a spoiled brat and they'll be sure to treat you like an adult now!_

She flopped backwards on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly, all she wanted was for her adolescent, carefree life back from when she was a child.

_At least life was easy then. Jake was my best friend, my relationship with my parents was normal, and my biggest worry was when I would get to drain a bobcat next. Things change, I know that…but this sucks. _

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Downstairs, Bella approached her husband somberly as he sat at his laptop.

"What are you doing?" she asked, gliding up to sit beside him. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she breathed in his soothing scent. Edward frowned at the screen, trying to decide what to get his daughter for her upcoming birthday.

"Do you think Renesmee would enjoy a mp3 player, or would she like one of those touch ones? Do you think her skin would register on a touch screen?"

"Sure," Bella mumbled, staring at the screen blankly. Edward glanced down at her, noticing her somber mood.

"Something wrong in teenager land?" he mused, his golden eyes looking upwards towards their daughter's bedroom in the Denali cabin.

Bella bit her lip and raised her head off his shoulder. Edward fought a smile as he heard a soft 'whoosh' in his mind, signaling that his wife had lowered her powerful, mental shield so that he could hear her mind.

_Renesmee is growing up._

He turned to look at her, stretching his arm across her strong shoulders. "We've known this for awhile, I'm afraid," he said dryly, giving her a smirk. She gave him a pleading look, and his expression softened.

"Why are you suddenly so worried about this?"

Bella's face twisted up into a look of pure anguish, and his heart went out to his wife. Even though she had nearly completed her seventh year as a vampire, her emotions still managed to get the best of her at times. Bella was normally even headed and controlled, but at times, she could be over emotional when it came to their rapidly aging and changing daughter.

_She gets so mad at me for trying to parent her sometimes…I want to help her, Edward. But she definitely inherited my need for privacy. I just tried to talk to her and she practically attacked me._

Edward squeezed her shoulders tighter as she wiped at her eyes out of habit for the tears that no longer fell . "I feel the same way. But if she's anything like you were as a teenager, the more we pry the more she'll try to hide. You're not alone in this; it makes me crazy to watch her suffer like this."

"You're right," Bella said, sitting up straighter. She sniffed, wiping again at her eyes. "We can't pry. I would have done the same thing when I was a teenager. I would have just tried harder to hide what was really bothering me."

Edward nodded, looking down at her with affection. "You were so stubborn. Not that you still aren't, but you were so much more so when we first met. I was determined to stay away from you and you were determined to stay close to me."

Bella looked up at him, a smile suddenly dancing on her once somber face. "I guess we know who won, don't we?"

He smirked at her before pressing his lips quickly against hers. "Yes, yes we do."

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

The next day, Jasper looked up from his reading when he heard his wife suck in a breath of air swiftly as her body stiffened.

Looking at her sideways, he watched as her eyes glazed over slightly and her fingers fell slack, the paperback romance novel slipping from her hands and landing on the bed with a soft thud.

It was the middle of the night, and the two of them were relaxing in the room they had claimed as theirs while staying in Denali. The two of them had just finished having their 'private time' as the Cullens jokingly referred to it, and they were in bed reading for the rest of the night when Alice had a vision.

He waited patiently until it was over.

He picked up the tattered book and held it in his fingers until she came to, blinking quickly a few times as her eyes refocused on the room. She looked at him, her bright eyes full of worry and apprehension, but remained silent.

He sighed quietly and sat up, looking at the book in his hands. "You know, I sometimes read these after you finish them," he drawled softly. "I want to know what kinda man my lady is jones'in after."

Her worried face broke into a sly smile and she quickly snatched the book playfully out of his hands.

Alice was not like her brothers and sisters in her reading habits. Edward and Bella could read the same Shakespearian plays and Dickinson poems over and over again; Jasper enjoyed his books and journals from early American wars; Carlisle had his medical journals and medieval tales and stories; Esme loved studying books of languages; Rosalie had always had a flavor for the works of Thoreau and Yates; even Emmett could pour over world history books for hours.

But not Alice.

She was not to be sold short – she had read many books in the first few decades in her life. In the thirty years before she finally found Jasper and discovered her love of gambling and casinos for monetary income, she had lived in the attic of a Virginian library for almost two years. She loved stealing downstairs at night to read for hours and hours for entertainment.

She had gotten her fill of educational books in her time in high school as well. The endless list of classic literature she had been assigned over the decades as a sophomore had grown tiring long ago. Now, she preferred something else – something that never grew old.

Pure, simple, smut.

Three things thrilled Alice Cullen. Shopping, Gambling, and trashy, predictable, smut-filled romance novels. Jasper had always teased her endlessly about it, along with the rest of her brothers and sisters, but she didn't care. They gave her joy.

"Leave me alone," she huffed, holding the book away from his sight as he chuckled at her. He gave her a knowing look and she re-arranged the covers around her, pretending to pout.

"Alice…" he said softly.

"What?" she asked, flipping to the page she was on when her vision came.

Jasper patted her arm and used his gift to send her a mood of compliance as they sat there together. She gave him a sideways scowl as she realized he was 'cheating' but the trick worked.

"Stefan made his decision. He's going to ask Renesmee to go with him…on a picnic," she finished, looking down at her hands.

Jasper frowned, looking at her strangely. "On a picnic? Is he going to…kill a bunch of things and cram them into a basket?" he asked with a laugh.

Alice growled quietly, and Jasper abruptly stifled himself. "What do you mean?"

"He…he likes to watch her eat…he must find it….intriguing or something, I'm not sure," she finally said. "He's going to ask her when she wakes up. This is going to change everything, Jazz."

"What do you mean? What will this change?"

"It's all happened before…I almost feel bad for him…I _do_ feel bad for the boy…." She muttered, flipping through the pages of her worn novel.

"Babe, ya gotta be clearer," he said softly, shaking his head. He was _very_ confused as to what she was referring to.

"Jacob. Rosalie is pushing Stefan in Nessie's face…she's changing things, and now that he has made the decision to pursue her, it's going to bring nothing but trouble for them…for all three of them. I just have a feeling…things are about to get worse, and I don't know why. She's going to be faced with a decision, Jazz, and it won't be an easy one. This won't end well, I can feel it."

"Have you seen it?"

She shook her head. "No, but my visions of her….they're foggier than normal, or at least they get foggier. Jazz, I know something is going to happen…I can't see it, but I can definitely feel it."

He looked at his mate, unsure of what to say to pacify her.

"What should we do, Alice?" he asked softly, turning to take her ivory skin in his hands. His thumbs stroked her cheeks as he brushed imaginary tears away, his dead heart wrenching seeing his wife suffer.

"That's just it…I can't see…I can't see what is going to happen so I can't stop it," she choked out, her golden eyes full of pain and concern. Jasper looked at her, sending a wave of calm over her. She was so worked up that it seemed to bounce off of her and not be absorbed at all.

He pressed his lips into a thin line as he thought for a moment. "You won't be the only one watchin' out for her, okay Alice?" he said softly, his faint Texan drawl dripping over the words he spoke.

She looked at him somberly, her golden, watchful eyes full of worry and fear.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Renesmee smiled to herself as she finished fastening the elastic band on the end of the loose braid that hung over her shoulder.

"For a vampire, you really suck at sneaking up on people," she said playfully as she arranged the strands around her face just right.

Stefan laughed from the hallway, popping his head around the corner, his green and gold eyes dancing with mischief.

"Really? I suck?"

"You always manage to step on a creaky part of the floor or something, I'm not sure what it is," she murmured, looking at him in the mirror. He came fully into view, a wry smile decorating his features.

"Okay, so I'm still getting used to this vampire deal, so what?" he asked, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. He crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow in question as he looked at her skeptically.

"Not a huge deal, I have a feeling you'll have time to practice," she said, rolling her eyes. She flipped off the bathroom light and slid past his tall, wiry frame into the hallway. She sucked in her breath as the front of her body slid across the front of his stony one, causing her heart to race a little. He smirked playfully at her and she just rolled her eyes as she made her way down into the kitchen. He followed her silently, debating how to phrase his question.

Once inside the kitchen, she opened the seldom-used refrigerator and was shocked to see that it actually contained food.

She gave him a questioning look and he shrugged. "Carmen went grocery shopping while you were asleep…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

She laughed heartily, leaning on the refrigerator door. "I forget sometimes that you guys have all this time while I'm asleep to do things," she said.

"Yeah, well….it's a good thing too, because just to drive to a grocery store it takes a good four hours."

Renesmee smiled, silently grateful that she had a loving, adopted aunt in Carmen.

She rooted through the assortment of fresh food, noting that she saw some of her favorite items: fruit, steaks, and best of all – chocolate.

She pulled out a peach and washed it off, delighted to have access to fresh fruit again as she bit into it happily. He laughed at her as she wiped a trail of juice off her chin with a giggle.

"What?" she asked.

He laughed shyly, glancing down at his hands that were folded together on the counter.

"It's just nice to watch someone eat something besides a moose," he replied, rolling his eyes.

Renesmee put down her peach and looked at him thoughtfully. "You really miss food?"

He nodded, looking wistfully at the piece of fruit. "You never think about what a 'human' thing it is to eat until you can't do it anymore…well, I could…but…it wouldn't be pleasant."

"Yeah…it's not. Trust me. Emmett and Jasper tried to get drunk once with beer. I've never seen two grown men wretch that much."

He wrinkled his nose, laughing at the idea. "Why on earth….?"

She shrugged, her face breaking into a smile. "Who knows? Emmett said that he just wanted to make sure alcohol wouldn't do anything to him. He watches a lot of TV and I guess it just…looked like fun. And he always talks Jasper into doing stupid stuff with him. And Jasper always acts so smart…"

"Yes, yes he does."

"Well, vampires have a lot of time on their hands I guess," she said, looking thoughtfully at her food. "You know, when I was little I would mainly just eat to make my parents happy. They didn't want me to be a monster, and they hoped that me eating real food would ensure that I would be…as normal as I could be," she added.

"I suppose that helps…."

She laughed. "I used to throw quite a fit when I wasn't allowed to hunt! But I do like food now. Especially sweet stuff," she said, turning to rummage through the refrigerator again.

"Yes, well…that was what I wanted to talk to you about actually," he said slowly, looking at her shyly. Her heart fluttered a little as his eyes watched her.

"You…wanted to talk to me about food?"

He laughed, wringing his hands together nervously. "No, well…that's not really it… I wanted to know if you would join me tonight…for…an excursion," he finished awkwardly.

"An excursion?" she asked skeptically, closing the refrigerator door. He had her full attention now, that was for sure.

"Yes…well…a date?"

Her cheeks flushed immediately at the mention of the word 'date' and she bit her lip as she thought.

_A date? He wants to take me on a date? What would Jake think? Would he even care?_

She looked at him diffidently, somewhat ashamed that the first thing to come to her mind was Jacob.

_Why should he care? He obviously doesn't. He never even called me. He doesn't care at all._

"So? What do you think?" he asked, his eyes tentatively searching hers.

She looked at him, her heart fluttering and her cheeks flushed. _He's asking me out on a date. This gorgeous man is asking me out on a date. And all I can think about is Jake._

She set her jaw, grinding her teeth together as if to push the idea of Jake out of her mind and focus on the matter at hand.

"I…would love to."

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

The next day, Renesmee was in the closet of her room in Denali, trying to decide what to wear for her outing with Stefan.

"I told you it was a good thing to pack all these clothes!" Rosalie chirped, flitting from one side of the closet to the other. Bella rolled her eyes as her sister in law tried to help Renesmee get ready for her date.

"It's just...a date. With Stefan. That's all," Renesmee said firmly. The butterflies in her stomach had already begun to make her feel queasy, and their date wasn't even until later that night.

"Where is he taking you?" Rosalie asked, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder as she secured a buckle on the shoes she had put on her niece.

"I don't know, Rose…out somewhere where there aren't any humans, I guess."

"I'm sure he's got something romantic up his sleeve…he's a clever boy, that Stefan."

Renesmee rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon as Bella watched on with amusement from the bed.

"Mom?" she asked, trying to get her mother to intercede. Bella shrugged again and gave her daughter a pained smile.

"Yes?"

"Rein her in," Renesmee hissed, motioning to Rosalie.

"I've tried," Bella muttered as Rosalie cast her a _'don't you dare try'_ glare.

"I'm just excited for you to be going on your first date!" Rosalie said, standing back up. "Why is everyone acting like I'm crazy?"

"You're not. I just…I've been on dates before," Renesmee interjected, glancing at the shoes in the closet's full length mirror.

Rosalie snorted, picking up a pair of dark designer jeans from a shelf nearby. She held them up to Renesmee, turning her head to look at the fit.

"Don't tell me you're talking about that _dog_ taking you to look at some pitiful fire in the woods with the rest of his pack of mongrels!" Rosalie said sarcastically.

"Rose!" Bella finally said, giving her a stern look.

"I digress, whatever," Rosalie said, holding up her ivory hands. She batted her long eyelashes, giving the other two women an innocent look. "I'm just excited for my little niece is all. It's not every day a young girl gets to go on an _outing_ with someone new and exciting!"

Renesmee sighed as Bella walked over to join them in the closet. Rosalie busied herself with flipping through the rack of clothes on the other side, mumbling to herself about appropriate date wear.

Renesmee took an opportunity to use her gift to speak to her mother. She pressed her palm to Bella's arm, her mother's golden eyes lowering to look at it as she spoke.

_I want to go tonight._

Bella met Renesmee's eyes and shrugged as if to say, _'Well then go!'_

Renesmee made an exasperated face and 'spoke' again.

_I want to go, but it feels kind of…wrong. Like I'm hurting Jake. I don't know what to think._

Bella looked at her daughter and gave her a tight smile. She and Edward had agreed to stay out of Renesmee and Jake's troubles and just let the two of them deal with it from now on, but that didn't make it any easier for her to keep her opinions to herself.

Renesmee was surprised that her mother didn't say anything; usually her parents had plenty of input when it came to her. She glanced at herself in the mirror, sighing as Rosalie held up another shirt for her to try on. She was excited for her date, but try as she might, she couldn't push one thought out of her mind.

Jake.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Several thousand miles away, Jacob was having the same problem. One thing, and one thing only was on his mind.

Renesmee.

He eyed the calendar – her birthday was drawing closer and closer. He was sitting at his desk in his dorm room that Friday afternoon, debating what to do. The pull on his heart due to his separation from Renesmee had doubled since the night he left. It was like he constantly had a dull migraine, only it never went away. It helped when he was in wolf form, but not much.

He sat up and stretched, wincing as his bones cracked and creaked. He hadn't phased in a few days – maybe that would make him feel better.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax as he felt a bit better. His math homework wouldn't get done by itself, and he had put it off long enough. Phasing would take several hours because he would have to go somewhere private enough to do it, and he was always bombarded by his brothers who missed him and wanted to catch up. He felt awful that he was the only one who got to go to college, especially as an Alpha. However, he couldn't deny the longing in his heart to make his imprint proud, and his pack had seen it in his mind. They had practically insisted that he go to school and at least try it.

Sighing, he picked up his pen and tried to get back to work on his Quantitative Methods homework.

_Useless garbage…I'm losing my mind trying to figure out crap I'll never need or use…._

Leaning back in his chair, his eyes fell on the newer version of a promise bracelet he had started weaving for Nessie. His eyes narrowed at it as if it was to blame for his headache and sour mood.

He picked up one of the leather laces, rolling it between his fingers softly as he looked at the pattern. His mother had taught him many different types of weaving patterns before she died, and he had woven several templates with the soft leather cords before yanking them out. Nothing seemed right. His mind drifted to the one he had given her for her first Christmas, just days before the Volturi war. She had outgrown it in a little less than two years, and he had avoided giving her another one for awhile, deathly afraid of the questions it would cause to arise. Part of him just hoped her vampire mind had forgotten about the first one.

_If I give her this one, she's going to know what it means. It's like a promise ring…she'll know. I know Renesmee…She'll want to know all about it. There's no way I'm getting out of that one. If I give this one to her, then I have to tell her that she's my imprint and that we're soul mates…no big deal, right? Crap. _

He grunted to himself as he tossed the loose cords down on his desk. He glared at it again, then stood up to run his frustrated hands through his hair.

No, he couldn't do the bracelet. Too risky. At least for right now. He wasn't even sure why he was considering her birthday. She would probably take his gift and rip it to unholy shreds.

_And I deserve it. If there was any doubt in my mind before…I…I am the worst imprinter in the history of imprinting. Yup. _

He wound his hands in his shaggy hair and pulled, halfway hoping to shove some sense into his garbled up mind.

He looked up suddenly when his computer made a noise signaling the he had gotten an email. Frowning, he clicked on his account and frowned even more when he saw who his email was from.

Alice.

He clicked on it, unsure of what the pixie would have to say.

_Jake,_

_I can't see much, but I can see this. Get her this. _

_And if you don't show up on Tuesday, you will be hearing from me. So man up. _

_Alice_

Then, there was a link to something. He clicked on it, frowning as he looked at the chunky, silver toggle bracelet.

_That looks like Bella's bracelet that she has charm on…_

He clicked on it, making a face when he saw the price of it. This would pretty much drain his bank account, but he was pretty much sold on it. He wasn't about to ignore Alice's directions now. He had learned over the years that Alice couldn't see him very well, but she always managed to catch a glimpse when it was important. He bought the bracelet, choosing to have it shipped overnight to him so that he could decide what to do with it.

He knew Renesmee wouldn't want to see him, but he also knew that the pixie would have his doggy head on a platter if he didn't show up for Renesmee's birthday. Suddenly, he had an idea.

_Alice, you'd better not be wrong. _

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Be sure to take the poll on my profile about the rating of this story!_  
_


	17. you gotta come on

_When I sleep I dream of golden eyes_

_And skin that's colder than ice_

_And when he's gone I feel like everything that's real is fading_

_He's got a heart made out stone_

_He's says I'm better off alone_

_But my one desire is the to feel that fire_

_I'm in love with a vampire_

_I'm in Love with a Vampire – Saving Jane_

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**What if** one day, **love** gave _you_ a _**choice?**_

That is the question.

Remember, if you review with thoughts/suggestions/polite constructive criticism, that is the only way I can write a story that you will all love. I already love it, but I take ideas and suggestions openly. So if you would like your input heard, please voice it!

Enjoy!

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Renesmee smiled widely to herself as she slipped back into the house. She was returning from her beach date with Stefan, and she was extremely flushed with emotion and didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially her parents. Her father was sitting in The Great Room reading with her mother, and she avoided making eye contact with both of them before darting up the stairs.

Edward and Bella exchanged puzzled looks as they watched their daughter disappear into her bedroom.

"Stop trying to listen to her, Edward," Bella chided him, swatting at his arm. "I..I can almost feel you poking at my shield that I have around her. It's annoying," she teased.

Her husband stopped his concentration and looked at her with an apologetic crooked grin.

"Habit," he mused, turning his attention back to his book. Bella only rolled her eyes and laid her head back down on his shoulder.

Once inside her bedroom, Renesmee went straight to the bathroom. She couldn't stop smiling. She hastily began running herself a hot bath in an attempt to get rid of the remnants of the chilly ocean. Her vampire body didn't allow her to get cold very often or very easily, but after spending so much time in the water marine hunting with Stefan, she had finally gotten cold.

He had taken her hunting for walrus again that morning, and it had been a satisfying trip to say the least. Her parents were allowing her to hunt much more frequently than they usually did at home, much to her delight. Human food was nice to eat, but mainly only for convenience. Blood made her feel warm, strong, and satisfied.

But the menu that morning wasn't what made her so happy. Stefan had stopped her just at the edge of the Denali clan's property, wrapping her in his arms in a silent 'thank you' for their wonderful morning together. When the embrace ended, he had kissed her again, but this had been a different kiss than the rest.

It all started off innocent enough, but had quickly turned to something else once his smooth, marble lips were pressed up against hers. She had kissed him back with as much fervor as he was giving her, but he had been the one to first part her lips with his tongue and tentatively trace it against hers.

She had been shocked at first; an icy cold tongue was not something she was familiar with as it ghosted over her lips and into her own mouth. It was different and exhilarating, and Stefan had laughed against her lips as goose bumps appeared on her arms. He had apologized for being so cold, but she honestly hadn't' minded one bit.

Tossing some bubble bath and soap flakes into the steamy water, she stepped out of her jeans and pulled her shirt off of her body. As it passed by her nose, a whiff of Stefan's fresh, masculine scent passed over her nostrils delightfully. She exhaled quickly, pulling the rest of her wet clothes off her chilled skin.

But the scent lingered in her nose, tickling her senses and enticing her mind to think about not-so-innocent thoughts.

She stepped into the hot water, relaxing back into the soapy bubbles, her muscles thanking her. Her vampire skin instantly warmed and adjusted itself to the hot water, making her feel so much better than she had a few moments ago.

As her mind drifted to Stefan, the familiar, wanton lust reappeared, tightening in her lower stomach and her core. Her brief years as a teenager combined with peeking at many of Carlisle's medical books and journals had confirmed to her what her familiar problem was: frustration.

_Mentally_, she sometimes felt forty. _Physically_, she was now seventeen or eighteen, as she would now remain for the rest of eternity. _Technically_, she was only seven. _Emotionally,_ her feelings ranged anywhere in those ages, sending her on a rollercoaster of confusion.

However, this was one emotion that she now understood quite well. She bit her lip as the tingling in her center increased, making her want to scream and laugh and pull out her hair all at the same time. Her body was reacting to Stefan the same way it had reacted to Jacob's. She wanted relief and action, she just wasn't sure how. Of course she knew the mechanics of it. Countless books and secretive internet searches had confirmed the actual technicalities of sex to her. That she understood.

What she didn't understand was how a relationship went from what she had with either Stefan or Jacob to actually match what the act of sex was.

_So basically, I get the idea, but I'm honestly not sure how you get from point A to point B. That makes no sense. I wonder…I could never talk about that with my mother. That's just weird. But…Alice?_

She bit her lip as she ran the softening bar of soap down her arms, washing away the smell of the saltwater and sadly, of Stefan.

_Could she ask Alice about….having sex? Would Alice tell her?_ She winced as she realized that Alice had probably already had a murky vision of Renesmee asking. It was sometimes embarrassing to have her know what she was going to do before she did it, _especially_ if it was something like this.

The hot water relaxed her aching muscles and helped take her mind off her frustration, but her mind was still racing wildly as it swirled pictures in front of her eyes.

_In her mind, Stefan stood to one side; Tall, lean, and wiry, but in the most luscious way. His skin was like a marble statue of a Greek God; perfectly sculpted as if it had been created by an artist that had studied the human body for eons. He skin was smooth and perfect, unflawed by anything but his strong muscles and veins; his green and golden eyes were as striking as a bolt of lightning, striking her to the core. _

_Then, on the other side was Jacob. He was even taller, muscular, and brawny. His beautiful, golden tan skin shone off the sinewy planes of his burly body that she had ached to touch so much lately. His skin seemed to glisten in the sunlight as he stood in her imagination, his dark brown eyes glittering with fire and yearning. _

_I have a fantastic imagination, _she thought smugly to herself. She bit her lip as she pictured the two subjects of her mind's eye. Both were so appealing, but in many delectable ways.

Suddenly, in her fantasy the figures turned to each other, staring each other down. A shiver rolled down her spine as they turned to face each other, their bodies poised and ready to strike. Even in her imagination there was a tension that made her hair stand on end. Jacob hunched over, a growl erupting from his perfectly chiseled throat. Even in her mind, the sound made her skin tingle. A violent hiss erupted from Stefan's marble lips, his eyes lighting up with fiery determination. He lowered himself into a striking crouch, his fists curled into claws. Both men were frozen, waiting, and ready for the attack.

They were going to fight.

She shook herself out of her lusty and much forbidden looking fantasy, immediately ashamed for what she had just thought about.

_Stefan and Jacob would never fight over me…would they? _

She leaned up, turning off the hot water as the tub was close to overflowing. Her hands went to her cheeks, cupping them guiltily as they burned with shame for what she had just thought about. A horrid feeling rose in her bones as she replayed the taboo fantasy over and over in her head.

It wasn't that she really wanted to see them fight – but the idea of it was spellbinding, and she couldn't help but think about it as much as she tried not to. The idea of Jacob being jealous over _her _was what enticed her so completely – she had always been slightly jealous of Jacob's close relationship with her mother, as harmless as it was. She knew that that was the main reason Jacob had formed such a close relationship with her in the first place.

_Sometimes I think he only hung around for so long because of my mom….would he have been my best friend if he wasn't best friends with her first? _Sometimes she wasn't so sure. In the end, it was a double edged sword – she was envious that they were so close, but grateful that Bella had allowed a were wolf to be her best friend and babysitter while growing up.

When she finally stepped out of the cooling water, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and stared at herself in the mirror. _I can't believe I even thought about two of my friends fighting over me…I should be ashamed of myself,_ she thought.

She was ashamed of her stupid fantasies and made up her mind not to think of it again. However, she _was _still thinking about prodding Alice for a talk about something – sex.

She walked over to her dresser and began to comb out her hair once she was dressed. It was long, and had been her entire life. Alice had threatened her to keep it that way too.

"_You'll never wish for long hair as much as you will for short. Trust me,"_ she had grumbled. Renesmee chuckled to herself as she began to make her way through the knots and snarls.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

On the other end of the house, Rosalie and Alice were sitting in the kitchen, giving each other manicures.

"Black is such an awful color on your nails, Alice," Rosalie chided her sister.

"Its gunmetal grey, for your information!" Alice trilled, painting one nail and holding it out to admire.

"Whatever," Rosalie said, admiring the shade of red on her own nails. Suddenly Alice sat up straight with a start, her eyes glazing over.

"Something interesting?" Rosalie asked, not even looking up from her manicure. After decades of seeing Alice have visions, nothing really piqued her interest anymore.

After several more moments, Alice's body went slack, signaling that the vision was over. Alice looked over to the kitchen counter, where Renesmee's phone sat. It suddenly started to buzz with an incoming call.

"NO!" Alice shouted, but Rosalie was faster.

"Hello, dog," she said, flipping it open.

"Hey Blondie! Long time no insult!" he said sourly. "Hey, do you know what you have in common with a beer bottle?"

"Jacob…" Rosalie moaned, rolling her eyes.

"You're both empty from the neck up!" he laughed.

"I swear to god-"

"Why did the blonde try and steal a police car? Because she saw '911 on the back and thought it was a Porsche. You like cars, dontcha blondie?"

"Oh _enough!_ What do you want?" Rosalie was thoroughly irritated at this point.

"Where's Ness?" he asked impatiently, still thrown off from Rosalie answering the phone.

"She's out...." Rosalie growled. Alice shook her head violently at Rosalie.

"Don't you dare!" Alice hissed quietly.

".....with Stefan." Rosalie gave him a satisfied smirk through the phone.

Jacob felt his head stop and then start up again. "What? Who?!"

"You heard me. Our new friend, Stefan. He's a young vampire, we just thought she needed to make some new friends," Rosalie said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She loved making the mutt angry.

Jacob only growled and hung up the phone quickly. She cackled and closed Renesmee's phone, stealthily dodging Alice's hand as she reached for her.

"Rosalie!" Alice squeaked, her topaz eyes wide. "I can't believe you did that! You KNOW he'll be upset now. She's been waiting for him to call for weeks!"

"So? She's been upset over him forever, he deserves to squirm a little. Its bad enough we have to live with that wet dog smell. Hasn't it been nice the past few weeks not to have your niece smell like a wet golden retriever?"

Alice rolled her eyes, grabbing Renesmee's phone.

"Jake is going to be furious! He could do something rash and dangerous!"

"If he's going to be that stupid, then I say we let him."

"This type of thing has gotten you into trouble before," She hissed, eyeing her sister.

Rosalie clamped her mouth shut, glaring at Alice. She knew she was referring to the time when she had called Edward and told him Bella was dead.

"This is different and you know it Alice! Admit it; it would be easier for everyone if Renesmee was with one of our kind! You know this is true!"

Alice paused, concentrating. "What's easy isn't always right, Rosalie."

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Jacob hung up the phone and fumed. He wanted to reach through the phone and rip out Rosalie's hair.

_Who was Stefan? Why is she out with him?!_

His mind drifted back to the conversation in the kitchen with the Cullens after Bella and Edward got home from Denali the first time. Suddenly a light went off in his head. Stefan was one of the new, young vampires that the Denali coven had adopted. His heart sank to his feet.

_Great, another suave, perfect looking bloodsucker hanging around, and she's out having fun with him. I don't stand a chance._

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

The next day, Edward and Bella watched on as Stefan and Renesmee left for a run.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Bella asked, hugging her husband from behind. Edward looked over his shoulder at her and smiled as he watched her eyes follow the two young vampires into the woods.

"I think they'll be fine. He really cares about her."

"That's what worries me," she said. "Why are you not more worried about this?"

Edward only gave her a dry smile and tapped the side of his head. The two of them would literally go from one end of the spectrum from the other when it came to Renesmee's quickly developing relationship with Stefan. Certain days, Bella would calm an overprotective Edward. Other days, he would be one to talk his overly emotional wife down from her hypothetical cliff. It was exhausting, even for two creatures who never grew tired.

"Just because you've blocked me from your mind and Renesmee's doesn't mean that I can't hear him. His feelings are basically innocent for her- he has a crush."

"That's what worries me. What about Jake?"

Edward sighed, turning around to face her all the way. "Bella, as much as I have protested the idea of Renesmee cavorting around in the past, I can't help but think that she needs this. If its freedom she wants, then…I'm going to give her a try with it. They're only going a few miles away to hunt. What trouble could they get into? Esme always told me; pick your battles."

Bella bit her lip, turning to look out the glass doors where they had disappeared to. Stefan had politely asked Edward if Renesmee would be allowed to join him for a quick hunt, and he had agreed.

Edward liked Stefan, for the most part. He was a young vampire, but demonstrated excellent control. He had spent a lot of time around Stefan and was convinced that his slightly enamored thoughts about his daughter were harmless. Well, harmless enough to let her go on a quick hunt with him. He had already decided to monitor the situation casually from afar, as he knew his daughter would want nothing to do with discussing it with him. Not that he could blame her – the idea of having a talk about boys with his daughter was mortifying enough. It was especially mortifying when her father looked to be the same age as she was.

Edward always knew that his daughter would mature and soon become a teenager, but that time had come very quickly to someone who normally saw seven years a drop in the bucket. As much as it pained him, he knew that his daughter didn't seem to want to discuss much with him, especially when it came to Stefan and Jacob.

Ultimately, Edward did realize with some distaste that his daughter would end up as Jacob's partner and mate. Although it was possible for their relationship to just be as a brother and sister or as best friends, he had long since assessed that this was clearly not the case with Renesmee and Jacob. He had heard enough of their thoughts about each other before Jacob left for school and Bella put up her shield around their daughter, and it had become apparent to him that their future relationship would not be that of friends.

However, he could also painstakingly acknowledge that his little girl was growing up, and that becoming friends with another younger person would not hurt her. He had missed out on being a teenager for long, and he was determined to look the other way as his daughter flirted with Stefan.

_It was all harmless…I hope_, he thought.

"Bella, you can't keep worrying like this. It will make you crazy," he said, turning around to face her. He put her creamy white face in-between his hands and gave her a loving squeeze. She grinned at him and then made a pouty face.

"What?"

"I just worry about them. How much does he care for her?"

Edward crinkled up his face and paused, gauging her reaction.

"Let me guess - he likes her a little too much."

"Perhaps. But I've seen his thoughts...they're not all that bad for a boy frozen at seventeen. Much better than the ones of oh say...a certain were wolf we may or may not know."

"Edward..."

"Bella, you know that I don't wish Jacob pain-"

"I would hope not! I've seen him go through enough of that to last him a lifetime!"

"I agree. I just wish that you would trust me. Stefan's thoughts are gentlemanly - he must have had a good upbringing as a human. He's very polite out loud and in his mind. I do trust him with her."

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but what does she think about him?" Bella asked quickly, her emotions clearly getting the better of her.

Edward made a frustrated look and lightly tapped his finger on the side of his wife's head.

"That my love, is still a mystery thanks to your little gift."

"Oh yeah...that's right..."

"Of course, that could all be fixed if you wanted to drop your-"

"Edward! We agreed years ago that my having my shield up while she was a teenager was what was best for her. It's not fair to have her father in her head."

"I know, love, I agree. It's just...hard to get used to after all these years."

"I understand...but seriously, Edward. I couldn't bear to have her chose Stefan and see Jacob heartbroken again!"

"I doubt that will happen. I've seen the pull of the imprint in his mind and in the minds of his brothers. Not likely. And if she did deny the pull of the imprint, they would both lead very uncomfortable lives, despite how happy another person would make them."

Bella heaved a sigh, looking up at him. "That's what I'm worried about - can a vampire go crazy?"

"I've wondered that several times the past decade..." he muttered.

"Smartass," she said, knowing she would get a reaction from him for swearing.

"Mrs. Cullen! Such language!" he teased.

"I know I know, I'm sorry...it's just that I worry Stefan might like her a little too much...and she may like him a little too much...and I couldn't bear to see Jacob hurt again, you see?"

"I do see. And as much as I would love to see that little mutt uncomfortable with that thought, I think we'll be okay for awhile. They're just friends."

"Are you sure?"

"For now, yes."

A light pair of light footsteps echoed in the hall and Edward and Bella were greeted by Alice and Rosalie.

"Why do you look so smug?" Bella asked, looking at Rosalie's expression and her heels clacked across the tile floors. Alice's ballet-style flats made almost no noise as she approached, her face torn and upset.

"Edward!" Alice trilled, pointing to her head. Edward paused, reading what she saw. His eyes widened a bit, causing Bella to look at him expectantly.

"You both know I can't stand these private conversations!"

Rosalie smiled again smugly and crossed her arms as she perched on the back of a couch. Bella flew over to her, instantly riled.

_"What's going on?!"_

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked. She smirked. Bella fumed.

"What's going on with Alice? What did she see?"

"She doesn't even know what she saw!" Rosalie interjected. Alice held up her hand, silencing her meddling sister. Rosalie crossed her arms and huffed as her eyes lit up with rage.

"Enough, Rosalie. Alice…" Edward said in a warning tone, urging his sister to speak.

"Edward, I've been getting bombarded with possible futures for Renesmee all morning. I don't' know what it means!"

"Futures with whom?" Bella asked, stepping forward with a concerned look on her face.

"Oh, just a certain daughter of yours becoming quite smitten with a certain young, dashing vampire," Rosalie said smugly.

Bella frowned at Rosalie, who threw her hands up.

"What? Would that really be so bad? To have her fall in love with a young, good looking, polite vampire? Who says she has to spend the rest of eternity with the dog?"

"Rose, you know her connection to Jacob...and your little stunt with the telephone just now didn't' exactly help matters."

Rosalie just growled defensively before stating her opinion.

"I'm just saying it would be nice not to have all those dogs running around all the time..Not to mention that stink that surrounds them like a fog..." Alice admitted. "But I keep seeing things that I don't understand! It's all just soo…so blurry!"

Bella and Rosalie watched on as Edward and Alice engaged in their form of a silent conversation – Alice showing Edward what she had seen and Edward watching with a frantic look on his face.

_"You two KNOW this makes me want to scream!" _Bella yelled, her shrill, panicky voice echoing off the tile floors. Edward looked at her quickly, shocked that his somewhat reserved wife would let her emotions rule her so blatantly. He reached out and put a hand on her arm in a comforting manner, but that didn't' seem to help her feel any better.

"Bella, Alice is worried because Renesmee seems to be growing more and more curious about Stefan in her future."

"And?" Bella searched their face. There had to be more.

"She gets fuzzy somewhere in the future.."

"Does she disappear? Is she in danger?" Bella asked, panicking even more.

"No, no!" Alice said quickly, trying to calm her. She put her hands on Bella's shoulders, steadying her sister.

"She gets fuzzy, Bella. There will be snow, lots of snow...and I see her future changing and getting murkier every time I look," Alice said. "She's still fuzzy to me anyway because she is only half a vampire, but especially now."

"What? Her future gets fuzzy?"

Alice nodded. Suddenly, Bella knew. Renesmee only got really unclear in Alice's visions when wolves were around. She sucked in her breath, her eyes darting to Edward's, then to the forest where her daughter had disappeared.

"Is he coming?" Bella asked frantically, looking at Alice, who could only shrug. They were all having the same thought.

_Jacob._

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

"So…where are we going again?

Stefan smiled as they walked out of the backyard and into the woods. "I told you…it's a surprise," he said, smiling at her sideways. Renesmee sucked in a breath as his beautiful eyes glittered at her in the moonlight.

"Oh, you're a good secret keeper," she teased, poking him in rib. He jumped quickly to the side, avoiding her prodding fingers as they jogged through the cold night. They took their time as they made their way to Stefan's secret location. They jumped on boulders, swung from tree branches, and walked through the dense forest before coming to a clearing.

She looked around, immediately recognizing it. "Hey, it's where we met!" she breathed, taking in the moon-lit scenery. The small mountaintop meadow was coated with the silky sheen of the moon, and placed in the center was a blanket with candles placed all along the outside. Her breath caught in her throat and she gasped suddenly.

She looked at him, and he gave her a shy smile as he gestured to the blanket. In half a second, she had darted across the meadow and was standing on the deep red quilt, her eyes wide as she took in the sight in front of her. The candles sat spaced out around the blanket, wedged into the snow to stay upright. White rose petals were strewn all around the quilt, and a large picnic basket sat in the center of the array. He grinned sheepishly as she gaped at him, unable to speak. Out of nowhere, he pulled a single white rose out from behind his back.

"Oh!" she gasped, reaching out to take it. "Where did you…"

He pressed his lips together and she felt her heart start to flutter as she looked at them. "Vampire…remember? You keep forgetting," he laughed softly. She smiled, her cheeks growing hot.

She looked at the display in front of her, and then back at him. "Is this for me? How did you…?" she was having trouble finishing her sentences her heart was beating so fast. She looked at him sheepishly, knowing that he could hear the thrumming rhythm in her chest.

"I'm…I'm not bothering you, am I?" she asked, gesturing to franticly beating heart. He shook his head, giving her a polite smile.

"I'm no newborn," he joked, gently pushing her towards the blanket.

"Stefan…this is the sweetest thing-" she began to say 'sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me', but something stopped her. Her mind swirled with pictures and memories of sweet, selfless things Jacob had done for her over the years.

She instead pressed her palm to his cheek delicately. _This is very sweet…thank you. _

"I'll be honest,….I had some help," he added, walking over to stand on the quilt. He motioned for her to come over, and she was suddenly shy.

"Rosalie," he muttered, giving her another shy smile. She laughed, shaking her head. Yes, this certainly did have Rosalie written all over it.

_I'm on a date…a real date! I'm so nervous…but I'm excited too…_

They sat together, and suddenly a slightly awkward silence ensued. Stefan looked around, unsure of what to say for a second before opening the picnic basket.

"I…asked your aunt Rosalie what your favorite foods are. She said anything mixed with sweets," he admitted. "She helped me a lot, actually. "

He reached in the picnic basket and pulled out a platter of huge, milk chocolate dipped strawberries. Her eyes widened in excitement – these were her absolutely favorite because they combined her to favorite things – fruit and chocolate.

"I love these!" she gasped, taking one when he offered it to her. He laughed and nodded. "Yes, you can thank Rosalie for that. She um…she helped me a lot, like I said."

"Stefan, you have to give yourself some credit," Renesmee said, taking a bite. "Did you make these?"

He nodded. "Yes…Rose and Emmett took me to a grocery store in Fairbanks last night while you were asleep," he admitted sheepishly.

Her eyes lit up. "You went to a grocery store? With humans?" She asked excitedly. Her heart swelled with pride for Stefan. He nodded.

"Emmett had to hold onto me just to be sure, but we were there in the middle of the night so it was almost empty," he admitted. "But…I did it."

"Stefan, that's amazing. I'm really proud of you," she said softly, touching her hand to his arm. She showed him her proud feelings for him with her gift, and he smiled when she was done.

"I still don't think I'll ever get used to that," he admitted. She looked down at her palms and giggled.

"Thanks!" she laughed. Suddenly, something caught her eye in the sky above her.

"Wait, what is that?" she asked, pointing upwards. When they turned and looked up to the west, she noticed that the sky was streaked with the most beautiful colors she had ever seen. Vibrant reds, greens, and blue streaks were painted across the sky, and they hung in the air like a colorful portrait.

"It looks like nature painted us a picture," she laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He laughed and poked her side playfully.

"Well, almost. That's the aurora borealis…or…northern polar lights. It happens when the emissions of photons from the earth's atmosphere are ionized by the solar wind and then they get accelerated along the earth's magnetic field," he said officially. She looked sideways at him before they both burst out laughing.

"What? I have a lot of time to read."

"Whatever you dork," she laughed. "You sound like my grandpa Carlisle when he talks about his silly medical journals and studies."

"Well…I had never seen anything like it when I first came to Alaska, and I was fascinated by them."

She looked back up at the sky, taking another bite off of her strawberry. Part of her couldn't believe that he had actually risked his restraint and gone to store to get the items to make their little meal. Although it did make sense – he was already so perfect that she should have expected their date to go this way.

They sat under the stars and watched the sky as the lights gently shifted and subtly changed colors as they watched. He presented her with more food and she gladly ate it – Stefan had not forgotten his skill with food in the past few years as a blood-drinking vampire.

"So what was it like, being born into this?" Stefan asked, handing her another strawberry She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly, glancing at the snow that glittered in the early evening moonlight.

"Fine, I guess...I don't really have anything to compare it to though," She said with a shrug.

"But to be a vampire from the start?"

"It gets old sometimes, everyone telling me what to do all the time. They're so protective that I just wish they would all back off sometimes."

"Yeah, I feel the same way sometimes," he admitted.

"Really?"

"Sure...I mean...to be a newborn means that you're an adult, technically, but you're being treated like a literal newborn. You have to have help re-learning everything from how to run, how to jump, how to move...you even have to have help eating at first," he said, his voice laced with sadness.

Renesmee nodded. She wasn't sure what to say - she had never thought of it that way.

"And not to mention I had to have a babysitter that whole first year. Someone had to be with me all the time to make sure I didn't murder the mailman or a random hiker. Not that I was ever really temped to...but it was still annoying,"

"And you couldn't act annoyed, because they were only trying to help you...yeah I know how that feels," she said.

"Did you have trouble...not killing?" he asked softly.

"No," she shook her head. "I met my human grandfather a few days after I was born. I had to learn right away about humans. I've actually been more tempted to kill them out of their own stupidity than hunger," she laughed.

"Yeah, I felt that way when I was human!" he said.

"Speaking of that..." she started, "What were you like a human?"

Stefan thought a moment, and stopped walking. Renesmee stopped as well, waiting to see his reaction. His amber and emerald mixed eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"I'd like to think that I wasn't that different from how I am now. I was just your normal, trouble seeking high school student I guess. I was good in school...I was in the middle of applying to go to college and studying for the ACTs in fact. I like riding motorcycles with my...brother..." he slowed. "I liked to drive it fast."

"I didn't mean to make you talk about your bro....um, I'm sorry."

"No," he said, rubbing his neck tensely. "It's okay....It's not a sore topic like everyone thinks it is. Damon was always different."

"How so?"

"Just always an extremist. We were very competitive sometimes, especially being so close in age. It was fun to have a brother like that, I miss him."

"I'm sorry," she said, reaching over to grasp his hand.

"It's okay. Everyone always tip-toes around me when it comes to Damon, and I wish they wouldn't. Everyone always said that this life gave us a choice as to how we wanted to spend our time. He chose something different."

"Why were you up here, anyway? Eleazar said you were form Montana," she said.

"My brother and I...wanted to do something exciting for spring break that year. It's funny...it feels like yesterday that I was human, but sometimes it feels like forever ago since that trip," he said, scratching his hair absentmindedly.

Renesmee was silent for a few moments, waiting for him to speak again.

"Damon was always bored, living in Montana. I suppose that's part of what altered his decision to stay in Denali - he always wanted to do something exciting and dangerous. That's why we were taking that week to ride our motorcycles up to Alaska - to hike and camp and raft and then at night we hit the small town bars with our fake IDs and stayed out all night..."

"So you lived a little fast for a seventeen year old I take it?"

Stefan laughed, looking over at her. "Yes, I suppose I did."

"Must have been nice!" she said, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"I take it you've never had a chance to run wild?"

"Not especially," she grumbled.

"What's it been like for you? I'm rambling about my pathetic existence over here..." he joked, motioning towards her.

"Well, it's been tough at times, even as much as I hate to admit it. I mean, it was fun to be one-of-a-kind sometimes, but most of the time it was just...."

"Just...?"

"Frustrating," she replied, visions of Quileute bonfires going through her head. She could remember the curious looks from the human girls like it was yesterday. It would have been so much easier if she was a human who was dating a human boy. _Or a vampire dating a vampire boy...._

"Really? I guess I never pictured what things would be like for a half-breed."

"It's horrible," she said, looking up at him as they walked. "I never fit in anywhere really. I never knew how I was supposed to act, or feel, or..._date_," she stumbled over the last word.

Stefan looked up at her, his eyebrows raised. "Really? I didn't think pretty girls ever had a hard time finding dates."

Renesmee felt her cheeks grow hot with flush. _Was he trying to compliment her? _She bit her lip and smiled shyly to herself, silently cursing vampire vision. He was looking over at her as they sat there on their quilt under the stars, and she knew that he was able to see her reddening cheeks.

She tossed her bronze hair behind her shoulder and gave him a playful smirk. "I never said I had trouble finding dates, I just never knew which offers to take seriously," she said.

_Okay, that's a lie…_she thought to herself.

"You should consider a few more," he said softly, turning to look at her. His gaze caught hers, and she blushed again, half expecting him to comment.

"My parents are selective when it comes to my dates, thank you," she teased.

_He's flirting with me!_

"Oh, I see," he laughed, putting his hands up in mock defense. "I guess I should have guessed more for a Cullen."

She laughed as he playfully made fun of her, the noise bouncing off the snow in the meadow where they were. She really _laughed._ And it felt good.

"I'm really glad you decided to come here with me tonight," he admitted after a few minutes of silence.

She turned her attention away from the sky, where the colors stretched and bended, with brilliant colors ten thousand times more beautiful than any painting or picture.

"Really? Why didn't you think I would come?" she asked him. Personally, she was curious about this answer. He thought a moment, then froze.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I had some encouragement to ask you to go out with me, and I have to say that I'm glad I took it, Renesmee. I'm happy for your company and…I'm happy I'm not alone anymore. You know these past two years have not been kind to me, and I'm willing to do anything it takes to keep you in my life," he said softly. He looked at the ground, then back up at her hopefully.

"Stefan.." she breathed, putting the piece of fruit she was eating back down on her plate.

"I…I don't know what to say…"

Her mind guiltily brought a picture of Jacob's face to the front of her vision, and she quickly pushed it aside.

"I'm..I'm glad I came here too," she finally said.

He looked over at her, his own green-rimmed golden eyes sparkling with anticipation for their outing. He watched as she placed another piece of fruit in her mouth, the blush rising in her cheeks as she chewed.

"You're even beautiful when you eat," he breathed softly, his velvety voice breaking the silence. She swallowed and blushed even harder as he watched her. Her fingers picked nervously at the blanket that they sat upon, her heart speeding up to an even faster pace.

"You shouldn't tell me things like that," she said with a quiet laugh, her brown eyes falling down to her lap.

He reached a hand out to tentatively stroke hers. "Why is that?"

She raised her eyes again, shyly. "Because I might believe you," she said softly.

There was an audible pause as they gazed at each other, neither knowing what to say.

"You're the first things I've wanted to take a chance on since coming into this life. I can't ignore that," he murmured. His hand moved up to rest gently on the side of her face as he pulled her forward. Her heart skipped a beat before he feverishly let his lips crash into hers in a passionate kiss. His lips moved softly against hers, yet they were filled with such a longing fire that it nearly took the remaining breath right out of her lungs. She felt herself move her mouth against his, tentatively at first, then with more pressure.

His lips were icy cold and not anything like Jacob's; it was a soothing chill though. She felt his cool hand touch her cheek, and she tried her best to keep her hands at her sides so that she wouldn't accidently show him what she was feeling.

He broke the kiss, leaning back to look at her, his golden eyes searching hers. They fluttered open, and her heart seemed to remember at that moment that it was supposed to actually be _moving_ inside her chest, not frozen in shock of the moment.

"I've waited..too long to do that," he said softly. Suddenly, her heart was _pounding._

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**Please take my poll! I have asked my readers what they would prefer:**

Keep the 'T' rating that is currently on the story and have a separate story full of steamy 'deleted' scenes with 'M' content,

***OR***

Just keep all the lemony goodness in there and move the rating up to 'M'?

**GO VOTE! : )**

**Oh and maybe review? Please? Thanks!  
**


	18. say that we'll be together

_Started with a perfect kiss then we could feel the poison set in  
Perfect couldn't keep this love alive  
You know that I love you so, I love you enough to let you go_

_And I want you to know you couldn't have loved me better_

_So I'm already gone_

_Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson_

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Okay guys, this is the last chapter for day, I promise. I worked my tail off on this last weekend, so reviews would be lovely!

Also, be sure to check out my new Jasper one shot! It's in two parts, but part one is up already and I'd love to hear your thoughts! It's Bella's birthday scene from his POV.

Also, be sure to take my poll on my profile page regarding the 'M' rated content of this story. As of now, it's rated 'T' but things are starting to get steamier and I want your input. I don't want to chase any readers away, so be sure to go and VOTE!

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He grunted as he turned over in his bed, the old springs creaking beneath him. He tried to block out Mike's incessant snoring, but it was no use. Jacob was having trouble sleeping that night, and he couldn't figure out why. His eyes drifted to the finished promise bracelet for Renesmee on his desk, and he sighed in defeat. Not he only had to figure out how to give it to her without her throwing it back in his face. He winced, just imagining how much t_hat _would hurt.

He tossed and turned, hoping a restless sleep eventually finding him. And when he finally did drift off, he wished he wouldn't have.

_He reached out to touch Renesmee's cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his hot touch. She opened her eyes, and he gasped suddenly. Her warm, chocolate eyes had been replaced by a set of crimson, glowing, daunting orbs. _

_Like she was a full blooded vampire who had just fed on a human._

"_Ness, your eyes- you didn't…" he gasped, pulling his hand away from the side of her face._

"_I'm sorry, Jacob. I can't deny what I am any more. I'm a monster," she said, her new eyes emotionless. He heard an evil snick behind him, and he whipped around to come face to face with the source of the noise. _

_Blood red eyes stared back at him from the trees. _

He awoke with a start, panting. His hands began to shake violently, and his vision blurred.

_Fuck, I'm gonna phase…_he thought to himself. He jumped up from the bed, not even bothering to grab any clothes to cover up his boxers. Throwing open the window to their tiny room, he wasted no time jumping down the three stories to the ground. He barely made it to the woods before his body split, sending the fabric of his boxers flying like confetti.

_Shit. Well it will be fun to try and get back into my room. Oh well, _he thought. He took off in a run through the woods that weren't far from campus, letting the feeling of being in his natural state soothe his frazzled nerves. The dream he had just had had unsettled him greatly, and he wasn't sure what to think of it.

_Was Renesmee in danger?  
_

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Renesmee winced as the door handle to the library squeaked as it opened. She was trying to sneak back into the house after her picnic with Stefan, but sneaking into a house of vampires wasn't the easiest feat.

Stefan had excused himself to go hunt, and understandably so. Her heart had been thrumming wildly as they kissed, undoubtedly distracting for a slightly new vampire. Just thinking about the kisses they had shared on the blanket under the stars send a chill up her spine.

"Have a nice evening?" Alice asked, suddenly appearing at her side. Renesmee jumped back from the door, her brown eyes wide.

"Alice!" she hissed, holding her finger up to her lips. Alice looked hurt, but then nodded.

"Ness, everyone knows you're home…sweetie, you can't even pretend to sneak around this place," she laughed quietly. Renesmee swatted at her aunt playfully, but the gesture was laced with frustration.

"Did you at least have fun? I saw him kiss you and I wasn't sure if you know how to kiss with tongues-"

"_Alice!"_ Renesmee hissed, clamping her hand over the tiny vampire's mouth. Alice frowned and shook her off.

"What? "

"Shut up!" she gasped, looking around the dark patio where they stood. She grabbed her aunt's hand, pulling her inside the house. Once in her room, Renesmee dragged her into the bathroom and turned the faucet on full blast to help dilute the sound.

"Alice, were you watching us?" she hissed again. Alice gave her a guilty wince, and then shrugged.

"Do you want me to lie?" her aunt asked, giving her a sympathetic and even guiltier look. Renesmee growled at her, narrowing her eyes, and Alice feigned fright.

"Ness, I couldn't help it! It's just so much easier to see you when you're with Stefan…"

Renesmee leaned against the counter where the water was still pouring out of the faucet. "Alice, I know but…I have to have some privacy. You won't tell dad, right?"

Alice gave her a nervous but knowing smile, and patted her cheek. "No, I won't tell him. Or anyone. But…you might want to take a shower…you smell like him," she added, her face breaking into a smile. Renesmee rolled her eyes and turned to switch on the faucet to start her shower.

"Hey Alice?" she asked, pausing slightly.

Alice flashed back to her side, eyes eager. She knew what her niece was about to say.

"Thank you…for…not saying anything," Renesmee said softly, biting her lip anxiously. Alice shrugged and looked at her, not sure what else she could say. There was no way she would betray Renesmee's privacy – she had too little of it as it was.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Once outside Renesmee's bedroom door, she could hear the shower start up. Alice began walking towards the bedroom she shared with Jasper when her body suddenly stiffened again.

_Oh, what now? _ Alice growled to herself in her head. Her eyes glazed slightly and her gait slowed until she was standing still, ready for the full force of the pictures to hit her.

They took her to a room she had seen before, only once. It was large, and marble…the light shone down from the ceiling, and the voices echoed off the walls…

_"….. have something in their possession. Something that I am very, very interested in. I have waited a long time to…acquire this creature from them, and I'm tired of waiting….."_

Her body went slack again, and she blinked several times in the empty upstairs hallway, now more confused than ever.

"Aro?" she repeated, trying to think. She knew that she had just seen the inside of Volterra and the palace where the Volturi dwelled, but she had no idea what it mean. The voice she had heard was forever burned into her vampire mind. It has been Aro speaking, but she couldn't see him or who he was talking to.

She looked around, unsure what to do next. Was it worth upsetting everyone and telling them what she had seen? Or should she just keep quiet? Shaking her head, she pushed into the bedroom where Jasper lie waiting for her on the bed. This would just have to wait.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

She smiled to herself as she finished fastening the elastic band on the end of the loose braid that hunt over her shoulder.

"For a vampire, you really suck at sneaking up on people," she said playfully as she arranged the strands around her face just right.

Stefan laughed from the hallway, popping his head around the corner, his green and gold eyes dancing with mischief.

"Really? I suck?"

"You always manage to step on a creaky part of the floor or something, I'm not sure what it is," she murmured, looking at him in the mirror. He came fully into view, a wry smile decorating his features.

"Okay, so I'm still getting used to this vampire deal, so what?" he asked, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. He crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow in question as he looked at her skeptically.

"Not a huge deal, I have a feeling you'll have time to practice," she said, rolling her eyes. She flipped off the bathroom light and slid past his tall, wiry frame into the hallway. She sucked in her breath as the front of her body slid across the front of his stony one, causing her heart to race a little. He smirked playfully at her and she just rolled her eyes as she made her way down into the kitchen. He followed her silently, debating how to phrase his question.

Once inside the kitchen, she opened the seldom-used refrigerator and was shocked to see that it actually contained food.

She gave him a questioning look and he shrugged. "Carmen went grocery shopping while you were asleep again…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

She laughed heartily, leaning on the refrigerator door. "I forget sometimes that you guys have all this time while I'm asleep to do things," she said.

"Yeah, well….it's a good thing too, because just to drive to a grocery store it takes a good four hours."

Renesmee smiled, silently grateful that she had a loving, adopted aunt in Carmen.

She rooted through the assortment of fresh food, noting that she saw some of her favorite items; fruit, steaks, and best of all – chocolate.

She pulled out a peach and washed it off, delighted to have access to fresh fruit again as she bit into it happily. He laughed at her as she wiped a trail of juice off her chin with a giggle.

"What?" she asked.

He laughed shyly, glancing down at his hands that were folded together on the counter.

"It's just nice to watch someone eat something besides a moose," he replied, rolling his eyes.

Renesmee put down her peach and looked at him thoughtfully. "You really miss food?"

He nodded, looking wistfully at the piece of fruit. "You never think about what a 'human' thing it is to eat until you can't do it anymore…well, I could…but…it wouldn't be pleasant. It was especially nice to watch you eat last night…" he said suggestively, winking at her. She grinned back at him.

"Yeah…it's not. Trust me. Emmett and Jasper tried to get drunk once with beer. I've never seen two grown men wretch that much."

He wrinkled his nose, laughing at the idea. "Why on earth….?"

She shrugged, her face breaking into a smile. "Who knows? Emmett said that he just wanted to make sure alcohol wouldn't do anything to him. He watches a lot of TV and I guess it just…looked like fun. And he always talks Jasper into doing stupid stuff with him. And Jasper always acts so smart…"

"Yes, yes he does."

"Well, vampires have a lot of time on their hands I guess," she said, looking thoughtfully at her food. "You know, when I was little I would mainly just eat to make my parents happy. They didn't want me to be a monster, and they hoped that me eating real food would ensure that I would be…as normal as I could be," she added.

"I suppose that helps…"

She laughed. "I used to throw quite a fit when I wasn't allowed to hunt! But I do like food now. Especially sweet stuff," she said, turning to rummage through the refrigerator again.

"Yes, well…that was what I wanted to talk to you about actually," he said slowly, looking at her shyly. Her heart fluttered a little as his eyes watched her.

"You…wanted to talk to me about food?"

He laughed, wringing his hands together nervously. "No, well…that's not really it.., I wanted to know if you would join me this weekend…for…an excursion," he finished awkwardly.

"An excursion?" she asked skeptically, closing the refrigerator door. He had her full attention now that was for sure.

"Yes…well…a date?"

Her cheeks flushed immediately at the mention of the word 'date' and she bit her lip as she thought.

_A date? He wants to take me on another date? What would Jake think? Would he even care?_

She looked at him shyly, somewhat ashamed that the first thing to come to her mind was Jacob.

_Why should he care? He obviously doesn't. He never even called me. He doesn't care at all._

"So? What do you think?" he asked, his face tentatively searching hers.

She looked at him, her heart fluttering and her cheeks flushed. _He's asking me out on another date. This __**gorgeous**__ man is asking me out on a date. And all I can think about is Jake._

She set her jaw, grinding her teeth together as if to push the idea of Jake out of her mind and focus on the matter at hand.

"I…would love to."

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The next day, Renesmee was in the closet of her room in Denali, trying to decide what to wear for her outing with Stefan. He had told her to dress to be outside, so she figured that they would be going hunting.

"I told you it was a good thing to pack all these clothes!" Rosalie chirped, flitting from one side of the closet to the other. Bella rolled her eyes as her sister in law tried to help Renesmee get ready for her date.

"It's just...a date. With Stefan. That's all," Renesmee said firmly. The butterflies in her stomach had already begun to make her feel queasy, and their second date wasn't even until that night. Just the idea that they were even having another date made her stomach turn with excitement.

"Where is he taking you?" Rosalie asked, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder as she secured a buckle on the shoes she had put on her niece.

"I don't know, Rose…out somewhere where there aren't any humans, I guess."

"I'm sure he's got something romantic up his sleeve again…he's a clever boy, that Stefan."

Renesmee rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon as Bella watched on with amusement from the bed.

"Mom?" she asked, trying to get her mother to intercede. Bella shrugged again and gave her daughter a pained smile.

"Yes?"

"Rein her in," Renesmee hissed, motioning to Rosalie.

"I've tried," Bella muttered as Rosalie cast her a _'don't' you dare try'_ glare.

"I'm just excited for you to be going on another date!" Rosalie said, standing back up. "Why is everyone acting like I'm crazy?"

"You're not. I just…I've been on dates before," Renesmee interjected, glancing at the shoes in the closet's full length mirror.

Rosalie snorted, picking up a pair of dark designer jeans from a shelf nearby. She held them up to Renesmee, turning her head to look at the fit.

"Don't tell me you're talking about that _dog_ taking you to look at some pitiful fire in the woods with the rest of his pack on mongrels!" Rosalie giggled sarcastically.

"Rose!" Bella finally said, giving her a stern look.

"I digress, whatever," Rosalie said, holding up her ivory hands. She batted her long eyelashes, giving the other two women an innocent look. "I'm just excited for my little niece is all. It's not every day a young girl gets to go on an _outing_ with someone new and exciting!"

Renesmee sighed as Bella walked over to join them in the closet. Rosalie busied herself with flipping through the rack of clothes on the other side, mumbling to herself about appropriate date wear. She would occasionally pause when she caught her own reflection in the mirror, but other than that she was extremely focused.

Renesmee took an opportunity to use her gift to speak to her mother. She pressed her palm to Bella's arm, her mother's golden eyes lowering to look at it as she spoke.

_I want to go tonight._

Bella met Renesmee's eyes and shrugged as if to say, _'Well then go!'_

Renesmee made an exasperated face and 'spoke' again.

_I want to go, but it feels kind of…wrong. Like I'm hurting Jake. I don't know what to think._

Bella looked at her daughter and gave her a tight smile. She and Edward had agreed to stay out of Renesmee and Jake's troubles and just let the two of them deal with it for now on, but that didn't make it any easier for her to keep her opinions to herself.

Renesmee was surprised that her mother didn't say anything; usually her parents had plenty of input when it came to her. She glanced at herself in the mirror, sighing as Rosalie held up another shirt for her to try on. She was excited for her date, but try as she might, she couldn't push one thought out of her mind.

_Jake. _

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Several thousand miles away, Jacob was having the same problem. One thing and one thing only was on his mind.

Renesmee.

He eyed the calendar – her birthday was drawing closer and closer. He was sitting at his desk in his dorm room that Friday afternoon, debating what to do. The pull on his heart due to his separation from Renesmee had doubled since the night he left. It was like he constantly had a dull migraine, only it never went away. It helped when he was in wolf form, but not much.

He sat up and stretched, wincing as his bones cracked and creaked. He hadn't phased in a few days – maybe that would make him feel better.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax as he felt a bit better. His math homework wouldn't get done by itself, and he had put it off long enough. Phasing would take several hours because he would have to go somewhere private enough to do it, and he was always bombarded by his brothers who missed him and wanted to catch up. He felt awful that he was the only one who got to go to college, especially as an Alpha. However, he couldn't deny the longing in his heart to make his imprint proud, and his pack had seen it in his mind. They had practically insisted that he go to school and at least try it.

Sighing, he picked up his pen and tried to get back to work on his Quantitative Methods homework.

_Useless garbage…I'm losing my mind trying to figure out crap I'll never need or use…._

Leaning back in his chair, his eyes fell on the newer version of a promise bracelet he had started weaving for Nessie. His eyes narrowed at it as if it was to blame for his headache and sour mood.

He picked up one of the leather laces, rolling it between his fingers softly as he looked at the pattern. His mother had taught him many different types of weaving patterns before she died, and he had woven several templates with the soft leather cords before yanking them out. Nothing seemed right. His mind drifted to the one he had given her for her first Christmas, just days before the Volturi war. She had outgrown it in a little less than two years, and he had avoided giving her another one for awhile, deathly afraid of the questions it would cause to arise. Part of him just hoped her vampire mind had forgotten about the first one.

_If I give her this one, she's going to know what it means. It's like a promise ring…she'll know. I know Renesmee...She'll want to know all about it. There's no way I'm getting out of that one. If I give this one to her, then I have to tell her that she's my imprint and that we're soul mates…no big deal, right? Crap. _

He grunted to himself as he tossed the loose cords down on his desk. He glared at it again, and then stood up to run his frustrated hands through his hair.

No, he couldn't do the bracelet. Too risky. At least for right now. He wasn't even sure why he was considering her birthday. She would probably take his gift and rip it to unholy shreds.

_And I deserve it. If there was any doubt in my mind before…I…I am the worst imprinter in the history of imprinting. Yup. _

He wound his hands in his shaggy hair and pulled, halfway hoping to shove some sense into his garbled up mind.

He looked up suddenly when his computer made a noise signaling the he had gotten an email. Frowning, he clicked on his account and frowned even more when he saw who his email was from.

_Alice._

He clicked on it, unsure of what the pixie would have to say.

_Jake,_

_I can't see much, but I can see this. Get her this. _

_And if you don't show up on Tuesday, you will be hearing from me. So man up. _

_Alice_

Then, there was a link to something. He clicked on it, frowning as he looked at the chunky, silver toggle bracelet.

_That looks like Bella's bracelet that she has charm on…_

He clicked on it, making a face when he saw the price of it. This would pretty much drain his bank account, but he was pretty much sold on it. He wasn't about to ignore Alice's directions now. He had learned over the years that Alice couldn't see him very well, but she always managed to catch a glimpse when it was important. He bought the bracelet, choosing to have it over nighted to him so that he could decide what to do with it.

He knew Renesmee wouldn't want to see him, but he also knew that the pixie would have his doggy head on a platter if he didn't show up for Renesmee's birthday. Suddenly, he had an idea.

_Alice, you'd better not be wrong. _

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Stefan reached out and grasped her hand tightly as they ran back from their hunt several days later. She gave him a flirtatious giggle and he squeezed her palm as they ran. Seeing a low tree branch, she leaped up onto it, then back down onto Stefan's back. He picked up speed as he grasped her thighs tightly to his back, darting through the sunny forest.

She laughed out loud as the sun hit his skin, making rainbows bounce off of it against the snow. He turned his head and smirked at her playfully before moving his legs even faster as he flew out of the woods and across a snowy tundra.

The wind bit at her cheeks as they moved through the sunlight, but she didn't care; today had been one of the best days she could remember having. She and Stefan had left the Denali house before dawn, running all the way to the Eastern coast of Alaska. Stefan had timed it perfectly so that they had reached their destination of the rocky shores just as the sun was rising.

After watching it come up above the horizon, he had coaxed her into the black waters of the Bering Sea. She had attracted herself to his icy back as they swam under the cold water, for he was much faster than she could be. He seemed to be able to navigate through the currents faster than anything she had ever seen – he was even a faster swimmer than Emmett, whose strong arms made him nearly the fastest at anything.

He had taken her to St. Paul's island where he had seen a lot of walrus lately. She was tentative at first when he spotted a group of them just a few miles off the shore – she had never attempted to hunt anything underwater before, and wasn't sure if she could do it. Her body moved her through the ice-riddled water, her body moving much slower than Stefan's had.

Her instincts had taken over, however, and led her to a smaller calf on the outside of the group. She had grasped it easily, draining it of its exotic tasting blood in a few minutes. The blood of the walrus was thicker than normal, and it glided down her throat and coated it a little better than most meals she had that were liquid. The sensation of hunting underwater was something she was still not used to, however. Catching something had been easy, but draining it underwater had proven to be a completely different feat.

Once back on shore, she wrung out her hair and winced at her reflection in the water.

"What's that face for?" he asked with a laugh, wiping his wet hair out of his eyes.

"I look like a drowned rat," she complained, trying to finger comb her hair into place. He laughed and gasped the side of her face in his palm before shyly pressing his lips against hers. He pulled away, his now very green tinged eyes falling to the ground. Neither was sure what to say for a few moments.

_I wish my eyes could look as beautiful as that, s_he thought.

"I can see why you like walrus," she finally said. "The blood is thicker. It soothes the burn more."

He nodded. "I try not to do it often…I don't want them to become endangered, but sometimes I do like to indulge myself," he said.

"I bet their blood helped the whole newborn thing," she said. "My throat does feel better than it usually does after a meal."

"Yes, the walrus blood did help me a lot. It's not your imagination, it is thicker. Makes you less thirsty." He laughed suddenly. "You know, it's so strange to talk like this. If you would have told me three years ago that I would be a hunter of animals I would have laughed at you. I mean, I was a vegetarian as a human! Hell, I would have believed that part less than the idea of becoming a vampire."

She snorted, sitting down on one of the rocks that littered the tiny island's shoreline. "Really? Gosh, there's nothing better than a fresh, slightly undercooked steak in my book," she laughed. Stefan crinkled his nose, and she got a kick out of his expression.

They explored the island a little more, running down the shoreline, splashing in the waves. She was glad that she could barely feel the cold; there was a thin layer of ice forming on the ends of her wet hair. After a few hours and another few stolen kisses later, they decided to head home so that she could dry off. She hopped on his back, her heart fluttering in her chest as he glanced back at her to make sure she was secure.

As he swam under the surface, her mind raced as she thought about kissing Stefan. They had kissed three times now; once on their picnic and twice on the beach. That made a total of four; three kisses from Stefan, and one from Jacob. Her experience was clearly lacking, at least to her.

She had next to no experience with kissing; she had only kissed Jacob once. Sure, Alice had sat through countless romance movies with her, but that was nothing compared to the real thing.

She had basically just hoped that her instincts would kick in and she wouldn't' look stupid. Most of the time, she had no idea what she was doing, and she just hoped that Stefan lead the way – which she was more than happy to let him do.

It was a nerve-wracking thing to kiss – she had a hard time relaxing and not worrying about looking silly or doing something wrong, and it was nice to at least kiss someone who knew what they were doing, which Stefan clearly did. Wincing, she thought a moment. _Has he kissed a lot of girls? Has he been with a lot of girls…like that?_

She felt her cheeks flame up as she thought about Stefan and whether or not he had had sex. Just thinking about it made her feel guilty. She clasped her fists closed to avoid any accidents with her gift, just in case. Renesmee quickly pushed the thought out of her mind – if he had been with a lot of people like that, it was none of her business, and besides – those girls certainly weren't like her.

His kisses had been as shy and shaky as hers at first, but she was grateful when her nervousness melted away all three times. Kissing, whether it was Jacob or Stefan, was a far more intimate thing than she had ever thought it to be. She finally understood why it had been impossible for Alice to explain it to her. _Nothing compared to kissing someone. _

Originally, she had felt like she was betraying Jacob by kissing Stefan. After his lips had left hers for the first time, it was as though Jacob's face was tattooed on Stefan's forehead; it was all she could see. She had been wracked with guilt the entire night, and no amount of evasion could get rid of it.

The night after the picnic, she had lain in bed, wracked with a million different emotions. When she finally got around her feelings of betraying Jacob, she had been able to actually concentrate on Stefan and what had happened. The picnic date had been the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her, hands down. But how did that compare to Jacob? Sure, he had never done anything remotely romantic for her, but he had done sweet things for her. _How did that compare? Was it fair to have the two compete? _

Her heart knew the answer to that right away. _No._

Once they were close to the house, she had hopped off his back again and they slowed to a walk. A steady rain had begun to fall, but neither one of them either noticed; they were already soaked to the bone as it was. The precipitation formed a hazy fog as it the slightly warmer earth, giving the path homeward a strange, unearthly feel.

She glanced sideways at him, her cheeks still glowing with excitement from their excursion. He flirted back with her, reaching out to playfully poke her in the side. She noticed that any excuse to touch or tickle her would rarely go unnoticed for Stefan. After a few minutes of shameless flirting, he had had enough.

With a playful growl, he grabbed her wrists and gently bur forcefully slammed her up against a large tree, pinning her arms above her head. He raised one eyebrow in a cocky manner before sending his lips crashing into hers. She sighed in a euphoric haze as his velvety lips molded with hers, again and again. He parted her lips with his tongue, letting his taste envelop her mouth.

She moved her head to the side to look nervously toward the house, and they both laughed. "We're still far enough away, trust me," he panted, kissing her again. She shakily dropped her hands from above her head and wove them into his hair, grasping it tightly. He moaned in response, the hairs on his arms standing up as they moved together. Her body was reaching for him in response to his kisses, and he met her willingly as he pressed her even tighter up against the tree. It groaned in protest, but neither seemed to realize it. They were too busy.

He grasped her neck softly as her mouth moved with his in sync; the only sound around them the sound of their lips coming together. She grasped him around the waist as she pulled his iron body even tighter against her own. She whimpered slightly as he closed the distance between them quickly, his tongue exploring her mouth. He scraped his tongue across her teeth and pulled back a little in shock.

"Sorry…they're sharp," she laughed, playfully biting his bottom lip. He panted slightly before looking at her, his emerald and golden eyes bright and expressive.

"That is…_so hot,"_ he murmured, gasping her hips even tighter as he kissed her again and again. Her hands shook slightly in nervousness as she felt his hands move up from her waist. One of them reached up and cupped her breast tightly, his steely hands slightly rougher than she would have preferred.

_She was suddenly very aware of the difference between his stony hands and the large, hot ones that her body ached for. _

She pulled away from his lips quickly, and he jumped away from her. "Sorry!" he gasped, sucking in a deep breath. She froze against the tree, her hand moving up to grasp the side of her face in shock. No one had ever touched her there like that before.

They both stood and looked at each other, unsure of what to say next. She felt her resolve slip, and soon she let an awkward laugh escape her lips. Grasping her wet hair, she twisted it nervously before looking up at him.

"Just take me home, okay?" she asked, reaching for his hand. Giving him a tentative smile, he walked back over to her and grasped her hand, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"I…got carried away, Renesmee. I'm sorry…You're just so…so…" he trailed off, looking her up and down. "Well…just _look_ at you."

She laughed, and they walked back into the house in silence, neither sure what to say after what had just taken place. Once inside, they both retreated to their rooms to clean up after their swim. She waited until she was in the safety of her own bathroom and under the steaming hot jets of water to lean against the wall and let her emotions run wild.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-__x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-_

Alrighty readers… I worked my tail off on this portion of the story all weekend last week, so PLEASE REVIEW! This story gets **TONS** of hits, so I know people are reading…** I would never not update because I'm not getting reviews because I love my story too much, but if you do enjoy the story I would really like to hear from you. I'm hoping this double post maybe inspires some people to come forward : )**

Much thanks to my reviews who always hit me up after a chapter with their awesome reviews: **hotmessz, jess194, ****xMaaandii****, ImprintMeJake, and EliseShaw** – you all are my inspiration. Thank you for your continued support!

And to my new reviewers! **Green-blobs-and-blue-apples****, ****rosietaylorgracelyn17** – thanks for your kind reviews! And to **Tamara** and** Violet**, my anon reviewers, you guys are awesome and I can't reply to your reviews, but just wanted to say thanks for leaving me some love : )

I love all my phantom readers too…*cough cough* =) If you read and liked, even a one liner will do, just so that I know you're all out there!


	19. little taste of heaven

_You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_My Immortal – Evanescence_

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Well here is a short but cute chapter that I think you all will love – a big day in the making. Renesmee's 7th birthday! Oh, but first a rather awkward conversation with Auntie Alice.

**Warning: Alice does give her a sex talk, so there is some mature content.** If that bugs you, then skip ahead to the birthday scene. I tried to keep it tasteful, but you never know what Alice will let slip : )

**Remember to take my poll to help decided if the story will stay rated 'T' or if it should switch to 'M' as things progress. **

Enjoy!

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

The hot jets of water helped to wash off the smell of the saltwater, but they did nothing to smooth her frazzled, sexually charged nerves. Her mind kept playing and replaying the feeling of Stefan's chiseled body pressed up against hers as he showered her with kisses on the rainy beach.

It had been strangely erotic to be out there with him in the wilderness, the rain falling down around them, making their hard bodies slick as they pressed together. She bit her lip as she let the water run down her ivory limbs, her mind racing.

All she could think about as Stefan had kissed her so forcefully were tawdry, yearning thoughts about doing more than just kissing him. Her body was telling her that she wanted more, that she needed more. She had not forgotten the fact that this week was when she would become a full grown woman – physically, at least. She pressed her lips together as the tightening in her stomach increased, making her want to squeeze her legs together and find relief.

She had thought nonstop about sex for the past few days; it had been unavoidable. She could have never been happier that her sexually charged mind was protected from her father by her gracious mother. Otherwise, Renesmee would have surely been the first vampire to ever die of embarrassment.

Her mind had been made up. Most of the family had gone to Fairbanks to shop for the day, and the rest of them were out exploring the Alaskan mountains. This would be one of few chances to get Alice alone for their talk. She stepped out, drying herself off and quickly changing into some comfortable clothes. She had a feeling she was going to want to be comfortable for this. Knocking softly, she pushed her aunt's bedroom door open to find her sitting on her bed expectantly.

"I know what you're going to ask, and no."

Renesmee's shoulders shrunk down, and she huffed impatiently as she darted to the bed. She quickly pressed her palm to Alice's arm and concentrated on the thoughts she was sending her.

_Alice…I can't talk to my mom about this. That would just be…weird. You're like a friend to me Alice. You're the only person I can talk to…please…do this for me...I need you to help me…I'm so confused...please, Alice. Please…._

Alice shrugged away from Renesmee as she bombarded her with desperately tinged, pleading thoughts.

"Alright alright! Jeez!"

Renesmee smiled triumphantly, extremely pleased that she had gotten her aunt to cave in and talk to her.

"You know, you still haven't removed your hand, I can hear you!" Alice trilled. "And I didn't cave. I just…gave in to your…desperation," she said, tripping over her words. She picked up a fancy pillow from the bed, toying nervously with the tassels.

"Well I didn't see much, but I did see that you were going to come in my room and ask me about sex," Alice stated, her golden eyes avoiding her nieces'.

Renesmee let a nervous breath of air out of her lungs as she giggled unabashedly. Leave it to Alice to know what to say to make light of the conversation.

"I'm not joking!" Alice chirped, crossing her legs. "Are you going to giggle all day or are we actually going to discuss this?"

Renesmee stifled her giggles, trying to compose herself. "I'm sorry Alice, I am…I…do want to ask you about...you know…."

"Sex?" Alice asked pointedly, looking at her. Renesmee let another nervous giggle slip from her lips.

"What do you want to know?"

She paused, thinking for a moment. "Well…I'm not really sure. I just-"

"You're too young!" Alice interjected, holding up a small white hand. "I know you get sick of hearing that but Nessie you're only seventeen and I really don't think you are old enough yet!" she said, speaking so fast her words ran together in a blur.

Renesmee had to bite her granite lip to keep from laughing at her aunt. Her expression softened again, and she nodded. "Yes Alice…I know. But I'm just…curious."

Alice stared at her, wrinkling up her nose and shifting on the bed. "Are you fidgeting?" Renesmee asked incredulously.

"No!" Alice muttered, folding her hands. "So are you going to tell me what you want to know or not?"

With a sigh, she unloaded her most embarrassing question on her aunt. "How do you…you know…go from kissing to…well...what you see in the books and movies? Is that how it really happens, like how they do it in movies?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well….They just kiss and kiss and then roll around on the bed together, and then they're just naked and…boom! They're doing it. And how do you do it? Should I know something that I don't?"

Renesmee was sure that if her aunt could blush, she would be. Alice took a deep breath, and muttered, "Just as naïve as your mother was…."

"What?!"

"Nothing! I…Nessie, that is basically how it happens, but there is so much more than that. You should love the person you…'do it' with, and are you in love with…Stefan?"

Renesmee stared at her, thinking about the question. _Of course I'm not. I'm infatuated with him, I know that much. But do I love him? Do I love him like I love Jake? Is my love for Jake the right kind of love for that?_

"You know, I can only tell you about that if you talk out loud," Alice said, guessing that her niece was having an internal debate with herself.

"Alice, if I ask you something do you promise not think tell mom, and not to think about it in front of dad?

"If it's what I think it is, I've been waiting for this for years," Alice said, a smile suddenly breaking out on her face.

"Well…I just wanted to know maybe not as much about sex, but about other things. … maybe what comes first."

"Foreplay?"

She nodded. "Well, yes, I guess. It's just that lately when Stefan kisses me I just get these feelings like I maybe want to do more. But I'm not sure if I do yet. I just keep thinking about…well…Jacob," she admitted sheepishly.

"Oh?"

"You won't tell mom and dad?"

"No way."

"Well...you know how girls talk in the movies, and in your magazines...."

Alice looked guiltily at her nightstand where a copy of Cosmopolitan was lying.

"Yes."

"You know what they talk about…like…keeping a man happy?"

"Sure."

"Well...I guess what I'm asking is how do you know how to do that?"

"How so?"

"Well all they say is that you have to keep guys…happy and interested. I don't know what that means?"

"Well, you were never really old enough until now to know...but now that your birthday is coming up here soon, I suppose you could know."

"They all say that you have to keep guys interested."

Alice laughed her musical laugh, reaching over and grabbing the article. "Well…you do! Especially women like us…we have a lot of time on our hands, you know."

"But how do I know if I'm keeping a guy…happy?"

"Well, according to this, you have to do things with him to do that. Things like kissing, letting him feel what your dealing with, and doing the same to him….but first, why are you asking all this? Is this about Stefan?" Alice whispered, her golden eyes wide.

Renesmee nodded, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "Yes. He kissed me the other night in the woods and I think he wanted it to go further. I think he wanted to, you know, fool around," she spat out quickly. She avoided Alice's eyes after that.

Alice's dead heart nearly leapt into her throat. She knew that Renesmee 'fooling around' or doing _anything_ for that matter with Stefan was not going to lead to anything good. However, she knew that telling her not to do it would be ten times worse. That almost ensured that her stubborn niece would.

"And you don't want to fool around?"

"I don't know. I'm scared."

"Of what?"

There was an awkward pause as Renesmee tried to come to terms with what she was asking of her aunt.

"What if I like it? What if I can't say no?" she admitted. "I mean…Sometimes I'm afraid that…well I'm afraid that Jake will find out. I mean, I don't care what he thinks," she said quickly. "But what if he's mad?"

"Aren't you mad at him?"

"Yes, but…."

Alice sighed. "You're afraid of not being able to say no, even though you still have feelings for Jacob?"

She nodded. "Renesmee, it sounds like your body wants to do more than your heart does. Just slow it down, okay?"

"I guess."

"Well what do you want to happen?

"Well, I don't want Stefan to lose interest in me if I don't keep him happy. What if Jacob never comes back to me?"

Alice frowned at her now. "Renesmee, you can't use Stefan as a play thing until you and Jacob come around and work things out. That's not fair to him and you know it. That's cruel, Ness."

"I know," Renesmee admitted. Truthfully, she was ashamed the second she said it.

"So what now?"

"I just don't want Stefan to lose interest in me because he's not happy."

"You're not answering my question. What do you want to happen when he's kissing you? Is that all you want to do, or do you want to do more?"

"Sometimes more…but sometimes not. I don't know…that's why I'm talking to you."

"You need to set your own limits. And please don't have sex…please Nessie, trust me. Just don't."

"I don't' want to…yet."

"Well you're the girl so you need to place limits on what you want. Wherever you want to stop, then stop. You stop when you don't feel good anymore."

"But what if he wants to do more?"

"That doesn't matter. And I have a feeling that you may think he wants to do more than he actually does."

"I know he wants to go up my shirt."

"How?"

"The last time he was kissing me he kept pressing himself against me and playing with the hem of my shirt."

"Hmm…yes, he does."

"What?!"

"Yup."

"Well…I can see that…vampire or not, he's a normal boy and he's curious. You can't tell me you've never thought about what he looks like naked."

"Alice!"

"Okay Ness, I'm gonna lay it on the line for you. You have your reasons-" she stopped to look pointedly at her, "for doing or not doing something. Just make your own decisions – quit letting these two silly boys influence what you feel comfortable doing. Just promise me you won't do anything you'll regret. It's a lot easier to work these things out before you do something with a boy you'll end up regretting."

Renesmee smiled, satisfied with their talk. She quickly pecked her aunt on the cheek and stood. "Thanks Alice. That helps a lot."

She turned at the door, thinking of one last question. "So, how do I know when I'm ready for sex?"

Alice gave her a smug smile from the bed and lifted her nose in the air. "I'll tell you on your wedding day."

"Alice!"

"Thank you," Alice chirped, clearly dismissing her.

She had a lot of thinking to do.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

The next day, she looked in the mirror and sighed impatiently, hoping Alice would get the idea.

She pressed her palm onto her aunt's arm, sending her a silent message. _I'm antsy. Hurry._

Alice rolled her eyes teasingly, pulling on a strand of Renesmee's hair as she wrapped it around the large curling iron she was using to turn her wavy ringlets into pretty, defined long curls.

"I'm going to tell you what I told your mother when she was getting ready for her prom and her wedding. I'll be done when I'm done."

Bella just rolled her eyes from her perch on the bathroom counter. They were in Carmen's large bathroom, helping Renesmee get ready for her seventh birthday party.

Renesmee sighed at her aunt's tactics, however, she couldn't help but admire her reflection in the mirror. Her mother laughed when she noticed.

"Careful, you're starting to take after Rosalie," Bella mused.

"I am not!" Renesmee huffed. She glanced at herself again, and had to admit – makeovers were Alice's forte. Her eyes suddenly became sad when they fell on her silent cell phone that sat on the counter in front of her. It was her seventh birthday and Jacob hadn't called, texted, or shown up yet. She had to fight to keep her eyes from welling up when she thought of having a birthday without him.

"Stop. It's your birthday," Alice muttered, picking up another strand of her copper colored hair. She wrapped it around the curling iron and arranged it just right.

"You know Alice…we don't have to do all this. It's just family…."

"Nonsense. It's a party."

Renesmee rolled her eyes and tried to be patient as Alice finished doing her hair. When she was done, she secured a pearl headband that nestled into the perfect curls nicely. They all left her so that she could change into her party dress – a short, strapless number that faded from a coral pink to white as it traveled down her body. The silky, layered tiers of the dress laid beautifully together, the colors melting from dark to light. It clung to her tighter than most dresses did, but she quickly pushed her nervousness aside.

_I'm officially full grown today. I'm a woman; if I want to wear a tight dress, then today should be the day,_ she reminded herself.

She secured the chunky, flower shaped diamond cuff on her wrist that had been an early gift from Alice and Jasper, and slipped into the shoes that Carmen had given her. They were a creamy white that matched the bottom of her dress, and had tall heels with glittering clusters of jewels on the straps across her toes.

"They're not too high," Alice commented in a sing-song voice as she glided back into the room. Renesmee looked up and gave her an incredulous look.

"Don't tell me you can read minds now too?"

Alice laughed her tinkling laugh and began fussing with her hair distractedly.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Renesmee asked, looking at her fidgety aunt.

Alice plastered a smile on her face, but she wasn't fooling Renesmee. "It's your birthday, and we're going downstairs soon to celebrate it. Relax – nothing is wrong. Now enjoy your party or I'll make you enjoy your party," she growled playfully.

Renesmee giggled as Alice finished securing her into her shoes. She reached over to show her aunt a picture of herself gagged and bound to a chair in the living room while her family danced around her, throwing confetti and wearing party hats.

Alice let out her most menacing growl as she stood and straightened her dress. "Not quite."

Renesmee giggled again and they walked downstairs. The great room had been transformed in true Alice party style; balloons, twinkle lights, candles, and flowers graced every available surface. Her family, along with the Denali's, stood awkwardly around the room in their best outfits, smiling sympathetically at her as she made her way into the room.

"At least make the smiles look real," Alice growled under her breath. Everyone heard her and smiled even bigger, eliciting a laugh from Renesmee. She made her way to the bottom of the step in her treacherous heels, and sighed in relief when she made it.

"Happy Birthday!" they yelled in unison, startling her. She laughed at her own silliness and looked at her aunt.

"Thank you Alice – it's lovely," she said. She pressed her palm to her aunt's cheek and sent her waves of love and appreciation.

Alice flashed her a knowing smile and danced over to the table with the presents while everyone else greeted her.

Her family and friends all took turns giving her birthday hugs and kisses, and soon an entire pile of presents awaited her. Stefan smiled nervously before pecking her quickly on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Renesmee," Bella said, embracing her daughter in her stony arms. "I have a surprise for you."

"You do?"

Bella nodded. "Come on guys!" she called. Carlisle and Esme peeked out from the kitchen and Renesmee darted over to embrace her grandparents. They had skipped out on the Denali trip so that Esme could watch the house and Carlisle could keep his schedule at work, so this was a lovely surprise.

"You came!" She said excitedly, hugging them both.

"We couldn't miss our granddaughter's seventh birthday! I haven't missed one yet and I'm not going to start now," Esme said, hugging her tightly. Renesmee beamed and practically jumped into her grandfather's arms.

_Someone else is missing it though, _she thought sadly.

"Grandpa Carlisle…I missed you guys so much!" she squealed, holding them both tightly. Carlisle laughed and set her back down when she was finished hugging them.

"I know you miss me when you start calling me 'grandpa'," he laughed. Renesmee rolled her eyes and playfully swatted at him.

"I can't help it – you don't' look old enough to be grandparents, so I never call you grandparents!"

Both of them laughed and hugged her again. "We just ran up for the weekend – I have to be back for my night shift on Sunday night, so we won't be here for long," Carlisle said.

"I would like to try this walrus that everyone keeps talking about," Esme piped up. Stefan smiled shyly at her, walking over to her.

"Yes, that would be my area of expertise. The uh…only one I have I'm afraid," he laughed.

"Eleazar tells me you have a gift with water Stefan…almost like an earth mover?"

Stefan shook his head, laughing. "That's what he keeps telling me. I think I'm just a fast swimmer."

Carlisle smiled, giving Eleazar a pointed look. "Well, you're still young. We've discovered that it takes years of practice to fully master all talents. I think Jasper is still learning about his, and he's been at it for a century and a half!"

Jasper snorted. "Yes, I do learn something every day about it."

Turning up the volume on the sound system, Alice snapped loudly, bringing their attention back to the party. "Okay! Enough talk about gifts and silly vampire things. This is a party, remember?"

"Sorry Alice," Esme laughed, patting her on the back. They all stood aside as Alice took charge and continued on with the party.

"Here," Alice chirped, handing her several presents at a time. She opened each one dutifully, politely thanking everyone that had given her something. When it was Stefan's turn, he darted to the kitchen and returned with the most beautiful arrangement of white, yellow, pink, and coral colored roses she had ever seen.

"Oh my, god! Stefan…these are gorgeous!" she exclaimed, taking them in her hands. She inhaled their sweet scent slowly, momentarily forgetting that she was in a roomful of her family members and close friends. She quickly composed herself, taking the other present that he was handing to her gingerly. When she opened it, she was surprised to see that it was the daintiest, most beautiful emerald pendant she had ever seen.

"Wow…this is extraordinary, Stefan. Thank you," she breathed, taking it out of the box. He secured it around her neck as her family looked on. She was suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Um…can I eat some cake now?" she asked awkwardly eying the large cake in the center of the table. Alice clapped delightedly and began to cut her out a piece.

"Those don't look like 'friend' presents to me," Emmett whispered to Rosalie. Rosalie's eyes widened and she smacked him on the back of the head as Alice grabbed a plate for Renesmee.

"Ouch! Just sayin'…" Emmett mumbled. Rosalie beamed proudly at Stefan, who couldn't look more uncomfortable if he tried.

They stood around the room, everyone giving her their presents; it was hard for her not to feel spoiled. She got clothes, shoes, books, even a new TV from her Uncle Emmett.

"Emmett…what am I going to do with a 60 inch TV?" She laughed, holding it up for everyone to see. He laughed loudly and shrugged. "Put it in your bathroom for all I care. It's awesome – just look at it!"

Everyone laughed at Emmett, and she continued making her way through the presents. It was hard not to feel like a spoiled brat in a situation like this. She had gotten more presents at this party than most people got in their entire lives.

Glancing over at the bouquet of roses Stefan had given her that now sat in a crystal vase on the table, she couldn't help but feel a little sad. Her mind traveled back to her sixth birthday party the year before….

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

**(Flashback)**

"We might as well be hillbillies," Alice growled, crossing her arms. Emmett just swatted at her with his spatula, making Renesmee giggle. "Seriously! A cookout? Burgers? A _Slip N Slide?!_ What next? Are you going to ask me to don camouflage and perhaps sport a fishhook on the brim of my hat? And what after that? Will we plan Rosalie and Emmett's next wedding to have a theme fit for 'White Trash Weddings'? We're already doing a birthday party, what's to stop us from a wedding?"

"Alice, give it a rest," Edward muttered, fastening the large umbrella on the table. Rosalie just smirked at her sister, relieved to see that someone else was just as repulsed by their 'cookout' as she was.

"Pull it tighter!" Jasper yelled over. Esme flashed to the other side of the black tarps, effortlessly pulling them taught and driving a stake into the ground.

It was Renesmee's sixth birthday, and her house was a twitter with her family members as they got ready for her birthday party. Jacob had insisted that instead of a fancy party this year, they should take advantage of the pretty September weather and have a cookout, complete with a giant slip and slide in the backyard.

He had managed to convince Esme that the long, sloping backyard was perfect for the invention. She had promptly purchased economy sized, thick black tarps and stakes so that they could secure them to the ground. Renesmee watched from her perch on the back railing as Emmett tried to make the raw hamburger meat into patties for his grill.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked Jacob.

Jacob laughed as he walked over to Emmett. "Yeah, that's how you do it. What's wrong?"

Emmett wrinkled his nose and laughed. "Um, because this looks disgusting?"

Esme leaped from below onto the back deck, carrying stacks of buns and condiments. "Well you have to cook them silly!" she laughed. Jacob took the load of food from her, placing it on the table. Esme had been darting around all morning in a crazy blur, getting things ready for their afternoon festivities.

Jacob walked over to where Renesmee sat, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Ulgh, Jacob…you're gonna squeeze me to death!" She whined. He pulled away and grinned at her, giving her a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek. Her heart fluttered, and he looked at her strangely.

"I'm just happy that my girl is gonna have a great sixth birthday," he said, hugging her tightly again. He rustled her hair playfully and she growled at him for a moment before breaking back into a smile.

Before too long, the entire wolf pack showed up to dig into the burgers that Emmett had cooked, and everyone was relieved to find out that he was actually a pretty good griller. The Cullens had looked on as the boys devoured every last spec of food on the table, only taking breaks to tease Renesmee about her age or go down the large slide in the yard.

Renesmee had watched as Jacob peeled off his shirt, his khaki shorts hanging off of his well defined abs. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, carelessly tying it back away from his face. She had stared as he ran and jumped, sliding down the long tarp, finally colliding with Embry at the bottom of it with a hoot.

_Wow…he looks really good…all…wet and shiny…wow…._she had thought to herself.

"Are you having a good birthday, honey?" Edward asked, walking up to her. She had quickly begun conjugating every Latin verb she knew of after that, trying to not stare at her best friend.

The wolf pack was hard not to stare at – they were a group of tall, well built, muscled young men that all seemed to glow with heat. Each and every one of them had long, sinewy muscles that rippled under their gorgeous tan skin, which was accented by their wolf pack tattoos on their bulging arms. Not to mention, they all seemed to have permanent smiles that showed off their glittering white teeth and kind, brown eyes. _However, she only had eyes for one particular wolf that day…._

Suddenly, she had felt a pair of hot hands grasp her waist from behind, his familiar scent blowing around her in the humid air.

"Your turn, Nessie!" he whispered before grabbing her tightly and throwing her over his shoulder. She had shrieked and laughed the whole time as he jumped down off the porch, running over to the top of the slip and slide.

"Ready?" he asked, setting her down. He clamped his hands down on her wrists gently, not letting her go as she pretended to whine and complain about getting wet. Secretly she loved it.

"Yes…ugh…" she laughed, stripping off her sundress to reveal the black two piece beneath it. Jacob's eyes had bulged, and he had jumped in front of her protectively, moving his hands to cover her up.

"Nessie! What the hell…does your mother know your wearing that?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her incredulously.

She laughed. "Who do you think was with me when I bought it? Don't you like it?" she asked.

"You can't wear that in front of everyone…they might…_see_ you!" he hissed, still trying to block his pack members from seeing her in her skimpy bathing suit.

"Jake, it's just a swimsuit. Lighten up!" she huffed at him. His expression softened a bit, and he paused.

"But…oh…" he growled, stepping back. He gave each one of his pack members a warning glare and they all returned to rough housing and taking turns on the slide.

"You ready?" he repeated, grabbing his hand. She smiled with happiness and adjusted her straps as he watched her prepare to go down.

"Of course," she laughed, suddenly giving him a sneaky push down the hill. He grabbed her ankle as he hit the ground, making her slide down with him. They had laughed and screamed the whole way down, their bodies tangling together as they slid the entire way down the plastic tarp in a heap.

It had been one of the best days of her life.

**(End flashback)**

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Later, she would realize that that day was the start of a change in their relationship. It was the first time they had really _noticed _ each other in a different way. From that day on, they were no longer just best friends; something had changed. He was different with her, more protective it that were even possible. She had done less teasing and more flirting with him after that, and he would sometimes reciprocate if they were alone. It was all completely innocent, but it had all started that day at her sixth birthday party.

She missed her home, she missed her wolf pack friends, and she missed Jacob. Her birthday party today was beautiful, but it just wasn't the same without the rest of her friends. It was her first birthday party without the large, muscled boys, and she wasn't too happy that they weren't in attendance.

They would all hoot and laugh and tease her for everything before annihilating her birthday cake. Then they usually would take turns playing with her new toys when she was younger. On her second birthday they had broken her new giant trampoline within the first twenty minutes. _She missed them so much it hurt._

Renesmee looked at her father, who had given her a new iPod a few moments before. He looked like he was concentrating on something really hard as he looked at her. Renesmee pressed her hand to Bella's arm.

_Please tell dad to stop trying to hear my thoughts, you're shielding me and it's pathetic to watch him try. _

Bella laughed out loud and gave her daughter a sympathetic look as Alice handed her a piece of the extravagant birthday cake. She saw Bella look pointedly at her husband, who straightened up and looked away innocently.

Renesmee tried to enjoy the rest of the party with her family and Stefan, but she couldn't help but look toward the door that faced south. She could picture how it would look to see the familiar, russet colored wolf come bounding up to the back door, barking and stamping its foot impatiently. She clutched the sides of her dress, briefly imagining that it was Jacob's soft but wiry fir beneath her fingertips.

"How's the cake?" Alice asked brightly, sniffing the sugary substance that was on her place.

Renesmee laughed, taking another bite. "It's wonderful Alice. Butter cream is amazing…I wish you guys could try it," she said.

Tanya leaned forward and sniffed it experimentally, then wrinkled up her nose. "Um, no thanks." Everyone in the room laughed at this, and Renesmee snorted before taking another bite. She loved her family for doing this for her, but she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at the doors and hope to see Jacob come bounding up to them.

But he never did.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Jacob sat in the corner of his dorm room, slumped in the cheap, uncomfortable chair, glaring at Renesmee's birthday present. He had planned on going to up Denali and showing these silly leeches what's what. He was going to phase, run up, burst into the house, and meet this Stefan guy. Jacob had no idea what the real situation was with anything that was going on up there, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

However, he had spent most of the day pouting in his dark dorm room with a raging headache and an aching body. There was no doubt in his mind that his body was punishing him for upsetting Renesmee on her birthday.

_Stupid imprint magic. Fuck my life. _

He growled to himself and crossed his arms, giving her gift that sat on his desk another frown. His phone rang and he nearly jumped out of his skin before he grabbed it, flipping it open.

"Alice?!"

"So did you have a nice birthday?" He purred, nuzzling her neck. She giggled, playfully swatting his hands away as he tickled her. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, smiling when goose bumps appeared on her shoulders.

She knew this wasn't right, nor was it fair. Shame burned in her stomach as he nuzzled her neck again and kissed her softly there. She had spent the entire day pining after Jacob, wishing he would show up, and then here she was, kissing Stefan and acting like she didn't have a care in the world.

Biting her lip as he moved his cool nose along her jaw line, she inhaled and tried to ignore the familiar, warm pull in her chest that made her think of Jacob.

_At this point, I'll do almost anything to forget about him. _

"Your necklace looks pretty against your skin," he said, running a cool fingertip down her collarbone. She glanced down at the shimmering emerald that lay against her creamy neck and gave him a shy smile.

"Thank you," she said, standing up on her tip toes to kiss him again. Her stomach fluttered as he pressed his lips against hers, moving them in sync as they kissed. He ran his hands down her arms before wrapping around her waist and pulling her against his stony body.

"Stefan…" she muttered, pushing his hands away. He stepped back and clamped them behind his back, smirking at her.

They had snuck out of the back of the house after her party ended, and were pressed against a tree just on the outside of the large lawn. She leaned back against the tree, shivering slightly as the chilly night air was finally starting to get to her in her skimpy dress.

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you actually cold?" he asked in amazement.

She bit her lip and shrugged. "A little. I am partly human. I can get cold sometimes," she said.

He frowned, running a hand down her arm again before pulling it back suddenly. "I'm…I'm probably not helping that. I wish I could help keep you warm," he said, his face forlorn.

She shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. He stared at her for a second, then smiled. "Happy Birthday, Renesmee."

With that, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers softly. His icy lips made her shiver slightly again as they moved down her face and to her neck. He nuzzled her there, gently grasping her neck as he lightly sucked on the pale skin.

_He's so cold…I…I miss the warmth. The heat…_

She placed her hands on his chest, bracing herself as he kissed her sensually.

_When Jacob's mouth was on me it was fire…it wasn't cold like this. It was the most delicious heat I've ever felt in my life…I miss him…Jacob…my Jacob…_ her mind chanted at her as Stefan's icy lips moved across her skin.

Suddenly, he jumped away from her, his eyes wide. He gasped at her, wide eyed and stunned, as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Heat? Jacob? What the-?"

She looked down at her hands, wide eyed and suddenly very fearful. She had slipped, and in the process accidentally showed Stefan her lusty thoughts about Jacob… _while Stefan was kissing her. _

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

*whew*

Okay, so I hope you guys enjoyed seeing the fruits of my labor from a few weekends ago. I literally worked my tail off to finish all that, and I was really pleased with how it came out. **I am already busy at work on the next six chapters, not including a Jacob interlude in his POV! **

I got really good feedback from the last chapter I posted that was in Jacob's POV (chapter 4, part II) and I decided to do another one – so that is coming up.

**Remember, I love my story and would never not update because I'm not getting reviews, but I would love to hear from you. So if you have the time, drop me a line! **

I read and try to respond to **EVERY **review (anon reviewers, I can't respond to you, but you still rock) so if you have a question, compliment, suggestions, POLITE constructive criticism, etc, I would be happy to hear it. I do read them all and take them all very seriously, and have altered my chapters in the past to fit reader wishes. I am in love with this story and want it to be the best that it can be. Big things to come!

**REVIEW! : )**

*****TO SEE PICS FROM RENESMEE'S BIRTHDAY, CHECK OUT MY TWITPIC ACCOUNT (TWILIGHTCAKES).** I don't know if you need twitter or not to view it – you should be able to look me up on twitter and find it. Let me know if you have any problems and I will be happy to send the link to you.

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And please remember to vote in my **poll!** I'm asking what the rating of the story should be, so please go cast your vote!


	20. It's half full

_One look at you and I was through_

_My heart switched up on me like_

_A postcard from Paris when I've seen the real thing_

_A call back from your fortune teller she read your cards upside down_

_The meanest thing you ever did is come around_

_And now I'm ruined_

_I should have gone over,_

_I should have never let you leave_

_But it's the never knowing that keeps this going_

_And drives me crazy_

_Postcard from Paris – The Band Perry_

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**My internet has been down for a few days - sorry for the delay!  
**

**Alright guys, I just wanted to warn you that the themes in upcoming chapters are going to get more mature.** The story is still rated 'T' for now, but that could very well change in the future. I am not against writing 'M' rated fiction, but I refuse to be vulgar. I'm going to keep things as clean as possible, but this has always been a story with lusty undertones. You've been warned.

Please go **VOTE** on my poll in my profile page to have a say about the rating of the story.

With that said, the next two chapters have some sexual content in them. Fyi. Nothing too gross, but you get the idea.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

She had run up to her bedroom, so embarrassed and ashamed for hurting Stefan like that. Pain and heartache filled her as the hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Throwing herself on the bed, she didn't even bother to remove her makeup or take off her party dress.

She heard light footsteps outside the door, and she buried her face in her arms.

"Go away!" she cried, ripping a shoe off her foot and pelting it at the door. She heard her mother and Alice quietly slink away.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there on her bed, facedown and sobbing. Shame was practically dripping off her body as she sniffed and sobbed. She had completely humiliated herself after kissing someone – yet again. Would this never end?

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

For the first time in his wolf existence, Jake was starting to feel tired. He always felt tired in his human form, but usually once he phased all the exhaustion fell to the wayside.

However, this was his first attempt at running to Alaska. His legs churned beneath him as he ran through the snowy Canadian backwoods, and he felt himself begin to pant.

_Why the fuck…did they have to…go all the way…to Canada?_ He gasped to himself as he ran. He heard Seth snicker somewhere back in La Push, and he rolled his wolfy eyes.

Alice had called him after Renesmee's birthday party and had assured him that if he didn't see her on her seventh birthday that she would come back to Washington and kick his ass. She had promised that that was one fight where she wouldn't fight fairly, and he would end up getting his butt handed to him. And, after nearly a decade of knowing Alice, he knew she was probably not fibbing. He barely had time to tie Renesmee's present to his leg before running to the woods and phasing.

_Getting tired Jakey? _

The phrase 'Jakey' automatically made him think of Carly, and he shuddered. Immediately, he banished the thought so that Seth wouldn't see it.

_Seth, I swear to god…you call me 'Jakey' one more time and I will turn this train around and come kick your ass. I'm not in the mood._

_Sorry...Sorry…._

Jacob shook his head and tried to concentrate on his run. He only vaguely knew where Denali was because it was one place he had never been with the Cullens. Basically, 'somewhere in Alaska' was the closest thing to an address as he had for the Denali clan.

_Any ideas where the house might be Seth? Has Edward ever said anything? _

_Hmm…He did say it was close to a national park once. But…the park is huge. I dunno…Sorry man._

He heard a shimmer in his head, signaling that another wolf had just phased. Jacob continued to run at top speed, checking every few minutes to make sure that Renesmee's gift was still secured in its box to his leg. He heard Quil join the pack mind, and he began to listen to what Seth and Jacob were thinking about.

_Just focus, Jake._

_Focus on what? _

_Think about her. Try to feel. Your senses will take you to her. I know it sounds stupid and…well, stupid. But…follow your heart to her. Feel the imprint pull you. Or…something like that, _he sheepishly added. Jake could tell that Quil felt silly admitting something like that to him and Seth, but Jacob thanked him nonetheless and tried to put his advice to use.

He closed his eyes, pausing for a moment. He stood, focusing on the pulling feeling in his chest. He thought back to when he had first imprinted on Renesmee in the Cullen house, that fateful day seven years ago. It had felt like the baby Renesmee had attached steel cables of love and devotion to his heart, and he had been completely powerless.

After a few moments of deep concentration, he felt the familiar pulling sensation in his ribcage get stronger still, urging him forward. He broke into a run, his feet pounding on the ground twice as fast this time as he made his way north.

S_ee? Go get her Jake. Get your imprint and tell her. You can do it,_ Quil urged him.

_Thanks, Quil. _

By the time he made it up to Denali, he was completely exhausted. He followed the pull halfway up a hilly mountain range, through the woods, until he burst through the trees onto a snow covered lawn. The large, cabin-like mansion shone brightly in the dark night, and he wasted no time.

Suddenly, his nose burned and his hackles stood up, making him skid to a halt in the snow. _Vampire_.

Ignoring his instincts to fight, he took a few deep breaths and phased back, quickly pulling on his ripped shorts. He straightened up, and the vampire in front of him gave him an amused look.

"Alice," he said, stepping forward. He embraced the tiny, stone like vampire and pulled away quickly, noticing the look of shock on her face.

"You _must_ be going out of your mind to actually hug me, Jacob," she mused, giving him a wink. She motioned for him to come with her across the snowy lawn. He simply shrugged and followed her to the back doors of the cabin.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, wincing. The entire place reeked worse of vampire than he had been used to the past few weeks.

"I sent them out to hunt. I'm the only one home. She's upstairs…asleep."

He looked at her questioningly. "Does anyone know I'm here besides you?" he asked.

She nodded. "Edward."

He looked at her in amazement. "He didn't try to stop me?"

She just looked at him for a few moments. "Jacob, more people are on your side than you know. And besides…Renesmee's happiness is all that matters with this crowd. Now go!" she said, shoving him off. He laughed softly, making his way silently up the steps. His heart pounded as he made his way to the room where he could hear her fluttering heart.

Opening the door slowly, he almost fell to his knees. He was bombarded by her scent; her lovely, magnificent scent. His eyes found her easily in the dark where she lay on top of her bed, not even bothering to get underneath the covers. He inhaled her scent again, letting it fill his lungs and saturate them in their soothing magic. Walking over to the bed, he knelt beside the mattress to take in her beauty that he had missed too much these past few months.

She was still dressed in her pink party dress, one shoe on her dainty foot. She was face down on her bed, her innocent looking face resting on her arms as she slept. Her hair hung in the most gorgeous, soft looking ringlets he had ever seen, and she had light makeup gracing her already perfect features.

Reaching his hand out, he paused before touching her. He didn't want to disturb her, but his hands seemed to be drawn to her like a magnet. Moving a stray curl away, he traced his calloused fingertips down her smooth, silky cheekbone. She stirred in her sleep, sighing softly. The motion sent her sweet breath across the few inches to his face, and he closed his eyes to savor this moment.

_Renesmee had grown up. She was now a woman_.

His heart ached as he watched her sleep; she was conflicted, he could tell.

"Do you miss me as much as I miss you? Is that even possible?" he whispered softly. She lay completely still, lost in her dreams somewhere. As much as he would have enjoyed waking her up and making everything right, he could sense that now wasn't the right time. Turning, he untied the satchel from his leg and removed Renesmee's present from the bag, laying it on her nightstand. She would find it in the morning. He stood slowly, trying to be as silent as possible. He watched as she shivered a little in her sleep, and his heart made that familiar tugging motion in his chest.

Stooping down, he carefully lifted her so that he could pull the covers back and place her underneath them. She shifted in his arms as he laid her down gently, her eyes opening slightly.

"Jacob."

He looked at her, unsure if she was awake or not. He honestly couldn't tell by the dreamy expression on her face.

"Is this…a dream?" she asked her eyes drooping back shut. He laid her down, touching her cheek again softly

"Yes, it's a dream."

She sighed, shifting in the bed as he covered her up with a thick blanket. He knelt beside the bed again, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. He pressed his lips to the silky skin there, desperately wishing he could do more than just kiss her chastely. Frowning, he pressed his nose to her neck and inhaled.

_Vampire. _

He stood up suddenly, shocked. There were very few reasons why her neck would smell like she had had a vampire hanging on her all night. It wasn't a scent of a Denali vampire – he would recognize that.

_There's a vampire named 'Stefan' who is apparently going to die tonight…._

He turned and gave her one last look before racing out of the room silently. He flew down the stairs and into the Great Room, where Alice was waiting.

"You've missed a lot," she said simply. He growled, clenching his already trembling fists.

"I'm still pissed from when I called the other day. Didn't you tell her that I wanted to talk to her?"

Alice shook her head. "I knew you wouldn't want to do that over the phone Jacob. I knew you needed to come up here and see what is going on."

"What _is_ going on?" he hissed through his teeth. She looked at him sadly, shaking her head.

"Jake…you've been gone a long time. Things…things have changed around here. You kissed her and left her in the woods. Promise to Edward or not…you handled that horribly, and you have to deal with the consequences of that."

He stretched out his back and inhaled sharply to keep from phasing right there in the house. He looked at Alice as he began to pace. "You should have called me!"

"Jake, I-"

"Alice, do you _know…_do you have _any idea _what this will do to me?" he growled. "Do you know what my imprint rejecting me will mean? I'll die, Alice. I don't care if I'm an alpha werewolf, tribal leader, man….I will die. I will die of a broken heart if she does this to me. If this…_bloodsucking leech _ is allowed to do this to me. I…I can't lose her. I won't lose her."

Alice stared at him, not sure what to say. "Jacob…you hurt her. You wounded her like nothing else. She's struggled with forgiving you for so long now that I don't know if she can do it. You…You may have to fight for her. And I mean that."

He stared at her again, his fists still shaking.

"If that bloodsucker…S_tefan_ wants a fight, then he'd better be prepared to die. I won't have any competition for her, I won't. He WILL die."

His fists began to shake out of control and he began to blur more and more. Alice watched in horror as he shot out of the house and into the backyard, barely making it. He burst into wolf form, snarling and growling.

He ran from the house, still shaking with rage as he set off to follow the scent of the bloodsucker who had touched his imprint. Trees blurred by as he raced through the black forest, following his nose. All of a sudden, he slowed to a halt when he smelled a very familiar scent.

He turned to look at her, his eyes full of hate and anger.

"Phase back, dog," she growled. He stared at Rosalie for a few moments, then heaved a sigh. This was going to be humiliating – he had burst out of his shorts when he left the house.

He concentrated and was soon crouching on the ground in front of the blonde vampire that made his hair stand up on end. He straightened up_, _turning to look at her. She crossed her arms and huffed at him, her eyes falling down to glance at his naked body.

He gave her a satisfied smirk as her eyes raised back up and met his. "It's been a long time…Blondie. Why aren't you out on the hunt?"

She glared at him, uncrossing her arms. "I didn't want to get wet. Tell me dog…what are you doing up here? Aren't you bound to your little reservation – like a pound puppy?"

He snarled at her, making an evil giggle erupt from her red lips. "Step aside…I have a leech to kill."

She laughed again, her eyes narrowing. "Stefan would string you up by your furry little toes without a second thought. Don't try it."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?" she asked, turning her head to the side. "Come on – game over. Why are you here?"

"It's my imprint's birthday and I had to give her a present."

"What did you give her? Fleas?"

He stepped closer to her with a growl, and she shook her head at him. "Don't tempt me, pup."

He took a deep breath and stepped back. Killing Rosalie wouldn't solve any of his problems, especially tonight.

"What's going on with those two?" he asked, calming down a little.

He expected another gibe from her about how stupid he was or how he had fleas, but Rosalie surprised him. She stepped closer to him and began to speak.

"What's your deal? Do you really think that this is going to work out between you two? Let's get real for a second, Jacob. She is a vampire. You are a werewolf. Silly Native American magic or not, that isn't the best equation, and you know it."

He stood silently in the woods, listening. _He would at least hear the crazy bitch out. _

"Stefan is a good man, Jacob. Especially for her. He's like her – he's a vampire. They belong together. You need to take your own advice in this situation and go with what's best for her. You love her so much? You want her to be happy? Then let her have the choice. Let her be with him and be happy instead of going through life trying to be with her enemy. We gave this a try, and it's been fun. But you need to sit back and think and like I said – take your own advice."

"What are you talking about?"

She huffed at him, obviously amused. "You said it once before yourself - you need to consider the fact that _he_ might be better for her than you."

Her words echoed in the black forest as he stared at her. He looked back toward the house where his imprint lay sleeping, and he silently fumed at the mere _idea _of letting her be with a bloodsucker.

"Yeah? Well I've got news. I'm going to tell you the same thing Edward told me eight years go. Be ready for a fight. Oh, and pass that along to Stefan," he said with a flourish before crouching to phase. He didn't let her say another word before he burst into wolf form and took off, this time in the direction of home.

He would be back.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Several hours later, Renesmee awoke with a start. She had just had the same dream again that she had been having every night for almost a week now.

In the dream, she was in the meadow, kissing Jacob, when suddenly his lips turned cold and he became Stefan. Then, Stefan disappeared and she was alone in the suddenly stormy meadow with a pair of blood red eyes staring at her from the trees.

Sitting up, she realized she was still in her party dress from the night before, with one shoe one. Looking at the door, she winced when she realized that she had thrown a shoe at the door to get her mother and Alice to go away and stop hovering.

_Wait…I didn't go to bed under the covers…and why does my room smell like…oh my god. _

She reached up to touch her cheek quickly, realizing that the surface of it still tingled in a delightful, soothing way. Pushing her nose to the bed, she could still smell traces of him.

_Jacob._

Looking around frantically, she tried to see if he was maybe still there, just out of sight from her. He wasn't. Suddenly, her eyes fell on the nightstand beside her bed where a single bracelet lie. Snatching it up, she looked at it carefully. It was a beautiful, sterling silver toggle bracelet that had a delicately braided Quileute cord woven through the links. The two meshed together beautifully.

_The woven bracelet looks just like the one Jake gave me when I was little…and the silver bracelet looks like my mom's with the wolf charm…oh, Jake. _Her heart melted at the beautiful gift and she felt horrible for the past few weeks. She didn't hate Jacob. She couldn't hate him – it was impossible.

And as stupid as she felt for letting a silly bracelet help her realize that and forgive him, she didn't regret it. She had to find him and tell him.

She grasped the silver in her hand, flinging the door to her room open. She followed his scent down into the great room, where her parents stood with Alice and Rosalie. Stefan stood in the corner, still as a statue.

"He…he was here," she choked out, her eyes wide. "He was here and no one…" she trailed off, the sobs that were threatening to erupt from her chest suddenly becoming overwhelming. She collapsed in pain, realizing that Jake had been in her room and come to see her and she had missed him.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Jacob turned the wrench over and over in his hands as he thought. Either way he looked at it, this was not good.

"What do you want to do man? We'll do it…we can beat this thing," Quil said, slapping him on the shoulder. Jacob just shrugged.

"Why are you always so optimistic?" he growled, chucking the wrench. It flew through the air and Seth hopped up and grabbed it before it lodged itself into the drywall.

"Hey! This place is enough of a dump as it is. No need to put more holes in the walls," Seth chided, tossing the wrench on the work bench. Jacob just hunched over, resting his head in his hands. He had ran from Denali that night, unable to stop until he was back in La Push.

When he found out that his imprint had been kissing another leech and that they were actually happy together, he thought he was going to die. And it was all his fault.

"This isn't your fault," Seth reasoned with him, practically reading his mind. Jacob gave him another sour look and grunted in response.

"Yes, actually Seth, it is quite my fault. I should have just told Edward to go to hell and told her that she was my imprint and that was final. He would have had to deal with it."

"Yeah, and you'd have to deal with a cranky daddy vamp for the rest of eternity," Embry piped up. Jacob rolled his eyes and slammed his fist down on the work bench beside him, making them all jump.

"If it wasn't for Sally Loose-Lips over there, she wouldn't even know about imprinting period," Jacob said, glaring at Seth.

He was referring to Seth slipping last year and mentioning that he was still looking for his imprint. Renesmee had practically begged him to tell her what he meant, and Jacob had to do damage control for weeks after that. He had convinced her that it was an ancient tribal legend and she didn't need to worry about it. It hadn't been entirely a lie.

"Look, I said I was sorry for that. Can we possibly move on?"

"You guys are like girls…talking about all this shit incessantly…" Embry mumbled, walking back into the office.

"Shut up Embry," Jacob growled. He looked back at Seth and Quil, who were staring back at him blankly.

"Jake, man…we're here for you. I mean…I don't like the idea of a fight but…I'm there for you man. I am."

"Thanks Seth."

He leaned back in the creaky chair, folding his hands behind his head. He didn't really want to fight, especially not in front of Renesmee. He had just stupidly assumed that that part of his life was over.

"I don't want to fight," he said softly.

"Me either," Seth joined in. "But…we have your back Jake. Even though I doubt it's gonna come to that. Come on now…Renesmee wouldn't make you fight someone over her."

"Sometimes I don't think so," Jake said. "I mean…what else could she expect by hanging out with that new bloodsucker."

"What is she supposed to do?" Seth piped up.

"What are you talking about?" Jake snapped.

Seth just shrugged. "Well…I mean..you left her. You didn't tell her how you feel. I mean…you should have just grown a pair and told her instead of acting like an idiot."

Seth knew the words were a mistake before they had even finished leaving his mouth. Jake's fist rose up in preparation to connect with Seth's jaw, but he stopped.

"Easy for you to say!" he growled.

"Jake, come on man…" Quil pleaded. He didn't really feel like cleaning a bunch of blood up off the garage floor that night.

"No, Quil, stop it. He just wrote a check with his mouth that his ass can't cash."

"Whatever Jake! You can say what you want, but I know you better. You need to stop jacking around and tell her how you feel. What's the worst that could happen?"

"It's all easy when it's not you, isn't it?" Jake asked him. "You know, you've got a big mouth Seth, and it's getting old."

Jacob felt bad for fighting with Seth, but he couldn't help it. Seth was always so smiley and positive, and he just wasn't in the mood tonight.

"You're mad cuz you know I'm right."

Jacob was silent, confirming Seth's statement.

"It's just easy when you meet your imprint and she's sixteen, ready and willing," Jacob said, referring to Seth's new imprint.

"Look Jake…I'm just asking you to man up and tell her how you feel before something worse happens."

"I know…"

They were all silent in the workshop for a few moments while Seth's true words hung in the air.

"Jake…I hate to say it but...you might have to wait this one out. So you let her date someone while she's pissed at you. You're an imprinted couple – you won't ever stay mad at each other long," Quil tried to reason with him.

"Easily said for you. Your imprint still plays with Barbies. I've got bigger fish to fry," Jacob scoffed at him. Quil threw up his hands and snorted.

"Fine, but I'm just trying to help. I mean…Jake, it won't last."

"And how the hell do you know that?"

Quil just shrugged. "After almost a decade of following Claire around like a lost puppy, I just have a little faith in the magic that made me find her and imprint on her. But that's just me," Quil said standing up. "Believe it if you want to, or don't. I don't care anymore, Jake. If you want to fight, then I'll be there. But don't let it come to that. Ness is a good girl. You just gotta believe that she'll pick you."

Jacob stared blankly at the wall as he took in Quil's advice. For being the pack goofball, he sounded pretty smart sometimes.

He stayed and talked to the guys for a few more hours before heading back home. It was a Saturday, and he was glad to finally have the day to sleep in and catch up on his homework that he was so behind on.

By the time he got back to school and phased, pulling on the clothes Seth had loaned him, it was almost dark again. He had sulked around La Push all day, not getting any sleep. Now, all he wanted was his bed.

He plopped down in his desk chair, relieved to finally be done with this hellish night. He was completely exhausted and emotionally spent after worrying about his imprint. The dull ache had returned to his joints, and the headache came back as soon as he began to relax.

His mind wandered to who this 'Stefan' really was. He knew that he was one of the 'new' vampires that lived with the Denali coven, but that was about the extent of it. He was mad at himself for not investigating more when he could have.

He was startled by the sound of his roommate coming back from the shower. "Hey man where'd you go last night? Well, never mind…there's a huge party at Delta Chi tonight, you coming? The showers were getting full, only a few left," he said.

"Yeah, Mike, I think I will be coming out to that party tonight," Jacob said, suddenly standing. Mike looked at him with shock. Jake never went out with him to campus parties.

"Cool, well, let's get going. They're giving out free cups til 12," he said, slipping out of his shower shoes.

"Cups?"

"Yeah, you know, beer? It's a keg," Mike said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, right," Jacob said, grabbing his shower things. As the hot water rolled down his body, he paused slightly, considering this. It would take a LOT of beer to get him drunk – he knew this. He and the pack had experimented with alcohol several times, and it had never gone well for them. They usually ended up puking before anyone got drunk enough to actually feel anything.

_Maybe if I'm drunk I won't feel like this…I'm miserable. My imprint hates me, and she's up in Alaska being seduced by some fucking vampire leech. Holy hell…_

Paul had tried to get drunk a few times using hard liquor, but most of it had been burned off by his high body temperature before he could get really drunk. It had taken him nearly a fifth of Jack to even start talking funny.

_Well, we're going to give this a try...anything to get my mind off of her...._ he thought as his thoughts drifted to a pale, beautiful face that was framed with shimmering bronze curls. Her brown eyes burned into his as she laughed...

He slammed the shower stall door shut, stalking back to his room to get dressed. He selected a button down black shirt, his pair of jeans with the fewest holes, and his black boots.

_Good enough...I'm not trying to impress anybody, _he thought.

Then, his mind drifted to Carly. She had said she was planning to go to the party tonight, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought. Sure, he couldn't really see her face clearly due to the fact that she wasn't his imprint, but it was still an intriguing thought just the same.

_If Renesmee can go out with Stefan, then I can at least go to party where Carly will be and have a good time..._

He snorted at the thought. Here he was, contemplating flirting with a girl he couldn't even really see.

"You about ready man?" Mike asked, checking his hair in the mirror.

"Yeah, sure," Jacob said, buttoning up his shirt. He left the top two open, and turned to face Mike.

"Dude I still can't figure out how you stay so ripped...I've been lifting for half the semester and I'm not even close to your size," he said, looking at the mirror again. "What tribe did you say you were from?"

"Quileute."

"Must be something in the water up on that Quileute rez then," Mike muttered as he stalked out of the room.

Jake smiled to himself. "Yeah, must be something in the water."

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Back in Alaska, Renesmee was tossing and turning in her bed. Her body was physically exhausted and was trying to slip into a deeper sleep, but her dreams wouldn't let her. Instead they let her dangle on the edge, threatening something deeper.

_She darted through the forest, holding his hot, callused hand. He grinned at her as she looked ahead, searching for it. For their meadow. _

_She could see the light of the clearing up ahead, and she laughed as he ran faster, challenging her. Bounding ahead of her, Jacob's body was quickly disappearing as the bright sunshine of the meadow began to blind her. _

_"Jake, wait for me!" she called. A few seconds later, she was standing in the brilliant sunshine-filled meadow. She was alone. _

_All of the colors of the beautiful flowers and trees blurred together as she spun herself in circles, looking for Jacob. _

_"Jake! Jake?" she called again. _

_"I'm right here," he said, appearing next to her. He was dressed in his typical cut off shorts, the rest of him bare as the sun glinted off his sinewy chest. She ran her eyes up and down him, taking in his russet beauty. _

_"I thought I lost you," she said softly, lifting her hand to touch his face. He smiled, his straight, white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as her cool fingers brushed against him. _

_"You'll never lose me, Nessie. I'm bound to you."_

_"Bound to me?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him quizzically. _

_He nodded, leaning his forehead against hers. He stroked her cheeks with his hand, murmuring "Nay-eli.." to her. Her thrumming heart fluttered at the sound of him professing his love to her in Quileute. _

_"You love me?"_

_"More than life itself," he replied softly, leaning down towards her. _

"_I love you too, Jake...I really do," she said. _

_He pulled away enough to look at her, shaking his head with a soft smile. "There's only ever been you."_

_Time stood still as, for the second time in her life, he kissed her. She ran his hands down his warm, sun-kissed chest and reveled in the feeling of his muscles as they moved below her. His warm tongue slipped through her lips to caress hers, and she shivered as he moved his hands down her back. _

_A soft growl rumbled in his chest as she wove her hands in his shaggy hair and gently pulled at him, moving him up against her hard body. The sound made a whimper escape from her own as he cradled her in his arms. She moved her mouth against his softly, taking in the velvety feel of them against hers. _

_She was so blissed out that she didn't realize when his warm mouth slowly became hard and cool; his fiery arms that encircled her turned to cold marble. _

_Her heart fluttered again as the kiss changed; it was suddenly frosty, but not unpleasant. The cool, hardness of his lips against hers slowly began to feel normal. She smiled against him as he kissed her; it was different now. _

_She winced a little as a bright light pushed against the outside of her eyelids. She broke the kiss and opened her eyes, suddenly confused. _

_The mid-day sunlight bounced off of his diamond-like skin, and his emerald rimmed golden eyes stared back at her. He stood in front of her shimmering in the sunlight. _

_"Stefan?" she asked._

_"Yes, Renesmee, it's me," he said, touching a hand to her cheek. She shivered at the coolness of it, and looked back up at him. _

_However, he wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking behind her at the trees. She frowned as the sun was covered by dark grey clouds, and the warmth of the meadow was gone. _

_"What is it Stefan?" _

_"You have to get out of here Renesmee!" he said, grabbing her urgently. She turned around to look where he was looking: the tree-line at the edge of the meadow._

_The meadow was almost dark now, the black clouds threatening a terrible storm, and she actually had to squint to see what he was looking at. Bright, crimson colored vampire eyes stared at them from the darkness. She was unable to see who the eyes belonged to, and she was sure that she didn't want to know. _

_"Stefan, I-" _

_He was gone. She was alone in the darkening meadow. The wind blew faster and faster as if it was pushing the hot air away, replacing it with icy gusts. Thunder bellowed in the distance, a crack of lighting echoing off the trees. Turning around, she was now facing the glowing, crimson eyes by herself. _

Gasping, she sat straight up in bed with a start. A pair of golden eyes at the end of the bed startled her even more.

"Alice!"

"Renesmee," she said, her eyes wide. "What did you just dream about?"

"I....I..." she stuttered. "I don't know."

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

The two boys walked up to the booming house, the yard roped off with yellow tape and bodies spilling out of it onto the front porch. Girls lined the railing, their short denim skirts and sparkly tops showing off their bodies as and they cheered on a guy who was drinking straight from a keg.

A naked guy and girl streaked through the middle of the crowd that was in the yard, causing the entire group to laugh and cheer loudly.

"See what you've been missing man?" Mike asked, nudging Jacob in the ribs. Jacob grinned, nodding to him. He felt his stomach contract nervously, and he tried to push the feeling down as he walked forward.

"Well, what are we waiting for? It's not midnight yet. Let's get this free cup I keep hearing about," he said, striding up to the front porch. The boys got their red plastic cups and filled them at one of the kegs in the crowded kitchen. Jacob sipped his, making a face at the golden, foamy liquid.

"Not a beer fan?" Mike asked with a laugh. Jacob shook his head, scowling at the taste still. He didn't have much experience with beer. Several of the members of his wolf pack _had_ tried to get drunk a few times. Embry had downed an entire bottle of whiskey before even feeling a buzz. The rest of them had puked just from the taste alone. They mainly stuck to hard alcohol for the simple reason that it was more potent and worked faster.

"Just chug it Jake - if it goes down fast you can't taste it. And the more you drink, the better it tastes!" he said, punching him in the arm. Jacob laughed, looking at his full beer.

_Here goes nothing..._

He downed the whole cup in one chug. The foamy, cool drink flowed down his large throat and he swallowed, making a face.

"Not so bad, right?"

Jake burped loudly, grinning again. He grabbed a shot off the tray that was being passed around, and downed it as well. The two boys got in line for the keg again, and right away, Jacob downed his. One of the older boys standing near it cheered him on as he drank his third and fourth beer right there.

"This man needs a beer bong!" he yelled excitedly, slapping Jake on the shoulder.

He shrugged at Mike and looked up, just as a funnel with a tube attached to it came sailing through the air. The older boy caught it and filled it with several beers.

"You ready?" he asked, holding the beer in the tube with his thumb. "Just down it dude!"

Jacob nodded, grabbed the tube, and let the cold, cheap beer flow down his throat. When he was finished, he straightened back up and took a deep breath. The alcohol stung his chest and made him want to vomit, but the cheering group of girls around him made him keep his cool. The music in the hot, crowded house was so loud that it made the building shake a little with each pound of the bass. People were packed in the rooms, all of them drinking and drunkenly cheering between rap songs.

It was unlike anything Jake had ever seen. And the more beers he drank, the more he wanted to experience it.

_This is…college,_ he thought to himself excitedly. Lately, he had been feeling his real age and then some. Some days, he felt like was seventeen going on forty. Tonight was his chance to get out and experience college the way it was meant to be experienced.

"Man, you rock at those!" Mike said, laughing at him.

"Let's get you another one!" The older boy yelled again. Jacob shrugged as the beer bong was filled again, and he prepared himself again. He would prove to himself that if Renesmee was out having a good time, then he could have a good time, too.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Uh oh…think Jake will be in trouble?

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Sorry guys…I didn't get to do a double post like I was hoping, but I have a brief chance to have internet (it's been down since Tuesday) so I put up what I have done at the moment.

Thank you to my beta, Rain-It-Shall for her super fast editing talents on this one : ) She is awesome!

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	21. and I won't wait here all day

_And when the day is done, and I look back  
And the fact is I had fun, fumbling around  
I'm gonna fuck it up again  
I've acquired quite a taste  
For a well-made mistake  
I wanna mistake why can't I make a mistake?_

_A Mistake – Fiona Apple_

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

"Dude, you'd better slow down, that's like your fourteenth...or fifteenth...beer somehow," Mike yelled over the loud music.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Mike, you should try saying 'dude' more often, it works well for you," he said with a booming laugh.

Mike howled in laugher at his joke and staggered off to find another drink. Jacob quickly grabbed another shot off a tray that was being passed around and downed it.

_Mike was right...this stuff does get easier to drink…._

So far, his plan was working. He had drunk enough - and fast enough - that he had more than a buzz. His vision was blurry, his words were starting to slur, and it was harder and harder to put one foot in front of the other.

And most importantly, the more beer he drank the fainter Renesmee's face became in his mind.

_I should phase...wonder what it would be like to run drunk as a wolf,_ he thought to himself with a grin.

Suddenly, a familiar scent caught his attention. His nostrils flared as he reacted to it. Was he glad to have found it, or not? He didn't have much time to think about it.

"Jake!" Carly squealed, bouncing up to him.

"Heyyyy," he slurred as she hugged him.

"I'm so glad you came out," she drawled, smiling at him.

"Yeah? Why's that?" he asked, downing the rest of his beer. She giggled and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Because I never see you out at these things and I wanted to get to know you better. You seem like such a cutie," she added shyly.

Jake caught himself giggle slightly. The beer was definitely catching up to him, he noticed with groan.

"I'm glad you took my invite seriously," she purred, running her fingertips down both of his arms. His skin didn't tingle when she touched him like Renesmee made him do, but it still felt good to be touched by someone.

"Yeah, I figured it was high time I got out and saw what this whole 'college' thing is all about," he replied, a cocky edge to his voice. Carly ate it right up.

"Oh? Is that so? Well either way, I'm happy you did."

A surge of satisfaction that he couldn't place moved through him. She was _happy_ that he was there.

"Really?" he asked, squinting down at her face. She turned her head to the side, looking at him.

"Why do you have to be so cute?" she drawled, giving him a playful slap on the chest.

"Oh, it just comes naturally to me," he replied, shaking his head. _Holy shit that sounded cheesy. _She laughed, reaching over to squeeze his arm and giggle again. Clearly she had had a few drinks before she met him tonight.

"Why don't we get you another one of these," she said, taking his cup and grabbing her own. "So that we can go somewhere and talk."

Jacob learned very quickly that Carly was a woman of her word. Within minutes she had returned with two more shots and a beer for each of them, which he eagerly downed.

They continued to flirt and make small talk for several more drinks, and both of them were quickly growing more and more intoxicated by the minute.

_Carly really wasn't that bad,_ he decided. She was very nice, and a lot of people seemed to like her, and she was always asking him about himself. She had a decent sense of humor, and laughed at everything he said, and he felt guilty for leading her on like he was. He almost felt bad talking about himself so much. Almost.

_And too bad practically everything I have to tell her about myself is a lie. I wouldn't have to lie to Renesmee. No! Stop thinking about her idiot. That's the whole point of tonight. _

After weeks of missing Renesmee, it was pretty nice to have someone to talk to and fill a bit of the void she had left in his life.

"Don't you think?" she asked suddenly, snapping him out of his deep reverie.

"What?" he asked loudly, trying to talk over the loud music. Carly just laughed and pressed her hand against his chest, her fuzzy looking face making him smile. He squinted again as she said something, but the alcohol was making it hard.

"Let's go somewhere else!" she yelled loudly to him.

She giggled drunkenly while she led him through the crowed hallway to a staircase. They pushed past the loud groups of people as the music boomed in the packed house. Soon, he found himself upstairs in an empty bedroom with her. He was definitely drunk, and although he knew his hot body wouldn't let it last long before burning it off, he was a little bit nervous to be so intoxicated.

_Uh oh, this is not good_, he barely had time to think before she had the door closed and locked. She turned to face him, and her body seemed to radiate lust as she stalked over to him.

He leaned against the dresser, drunkenly fumbling with his cup. "So, um, what are we doing up here?"

"Well Jakey, I just wanted to get to know you a little better, is that such a crime?" she said, smiling at him.

Jake winced a little, squirming where he stood. It wasn't that he minded Carly; he didn't' mind her a bit actually. She smelled good, but different from Renesmee. From what he could see, she was attractive, and she was always nice to him. In another situation, they probably would have been friends.

That, however, was not what Carly had in mind. In a flash, she was across the room and pressed up against him, moving her soft body against his. She giggled as the beat of the loud music downstairs caused her to fall into rhythm as she moved. He laughed, mainly at her attempt to be cute. And she was.

Before he really had time to contemplate how 'cute' she was, she had her mouth pressed up against his and her arms clamped in an iron grip around his neck. In shock, he tried to pull away as she moved her mouth against his, but her whimper made him stop. She pulled away and looked at him seductively.

"Now Jakey, I just wish you would let me be nice to you...you seem like such a nice boy, and I just want to get to know you better. I wish you'd let me," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. He looked down at her pleading eyes, and instantly felt horrible for what he was about to do.

The ache in his heart for his imprint wasn't getting any better, but his longing to be loved was. He knew that this wasn't love; it wasn't even close. But tonight, he just didn't seem care. Any touch would do – it felt good just to have someone else near him.

It could have been the beer, it could have been his loneliness, or it could have been all his depression from being away from Renesmee. Or from going almost a decade without this type of physical contact with a warm, female body. The last time he had even held a woman was Bella, sadly enough. His body was longing to feel something; anything. He felt his reserved feelings start to slip away as she kissed him again.

He paused slightly, closing his eyes. He kissed her back.

The feeling of guilt returned as he clamped his eyelids shut and Renesmee's face appeared in his mind. Slowly, he made himself feel like it was her mouth on his. Those were her hands weaving themselves in his hair.

Carly began unbuttoning his shirt slowly at first, then quickened as she grew more impatient. His breathing sped up as she raked her nails down his pecks, making him start to grow hard.

_This is wrong this is wrong this is wronggg…._

She ground her hips against his middle in response to his growing hardness, and he felt his hands make their way up to grab her hips tightly. It almost felt like his entire body was on autopilot. Her mouth pressed against his even harder while his fingertips kneaded at her waist, which was still grinding up against him.

A low growl suddenly escaped his lips and his eyes flew open. She would definitely notice something was off about him if he continued to growl. Luckily, Carly seemed like she had had enough to drink not to notice. And she didn't.

_I wouldn't have to hide a growl if I was kissing Renesmee….No!_ he thought to himself. He wasn't going to allow himself to consciously acknowledge that it wasn't her he was kissing.

"Mmmmm…" she gasped, shoving her tongue into his mouth at the first opportunity. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but quickly let his tongue mingle with hers at the pleasantness of it all. She tasted _sweet _and good…very warm and inviting. As he moved his tongue with hers and she continued to grind on his hips, he felt himself grab her even tighter and begin to melt into her. He wanted this; he needed this. He hadn't been with a girl like this in so long that he was aching for it.

He tried to stop his mind from having logical thoughts as her iron grip around his neck loosened and her hands moved to his now very tight jeans. He kissed down her neck, his lips leaving a hot trail as he moved to suck on the spot just below her ear. Carly moaned and grabbed him tighter though his jeans as he moaned and moved against her.

She giggled at his reaction and lead him over to the bed.

"I hope whoever's room this is doesn't mind!" she laughed, throwing him down. He laughed drunkenly as he bounced on the bed and she joined him, jumping on top of him. Her lean legs straddled his body as he laid on the bed, the room spinning below him. Carly kissed down his neck as he stared up at the ceiling, the colors of the plaster above him swirling into shapes and pictures. He closed his eyes to stop the dizziness, and that's when the visions came.

In his mind, he again saw Renesmee. Her warm, chocolate brown eyes remained constant as her face grew older and shifted around them. The first image he saw was the time he had seen her for the first time, newborn and still flushed from excitement over Rosalie's shoulder. Her face aged and changed with time, always showing him a new picture. It was almost as if she was there, showing him these pictures, her cool palm pressed lovingly against his face.

He saw her face when he had given her the Quileute promise ring. He saw her when he had taught her how to ride a bike without training wheels. He saw her face when she blew out all of her birthday candles and he was the only person she looked at. He saw her face when she had taken his hand as they walked along First Beach.

Jacob was so lost in his vision of the dark brown eyes that he barely registered Carly unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, and he didn't even feel her unbutton his pants. He was brought back from his reverie when she placed her warm mouth on his cock, licking and sucking greedily. He looked down at her briefly, but the sensation overtook him completely as she moved her mouth up and down his shaft. It had been too long since he let himself feel like this.

He groaned loudly as he became more and more aroused, and his sounds only seemed to encourage Carly as she sucked and lightly grabbed at him. Her mouth moved up and down as she licked him, and he felt the familiar feeling of his stomach tightening and his cock began to twitch in her mouth. He was so used to his relief being a private ritual that took place during his showers or late at night in the woods when he was alone that it was almost as if a strange wave of relief was washing over him. Jacob let his head fall back on the bed as he let release hit him like the waves crashing against the sand on a dark, isolated beach.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

Alice hugged her tight as she sobbed. Her tears were for the confused feelings she had for the kisses she had shared with Jacob and Stefan, but also for the fear of what she had seen. Shame rolled off of her in waves as she cried into her aunt's neck; she was supposed to be a full grown woman now and she was already crying about a bad dream. But she couldn't help but be upset. The glowing, crimson eyes were always staring at her from the outskirts of the meadow, and they haunted her then and even now when she was awake and safe in Alice's arms.

"Shhhhh, it's okay," Alice cooed, cradling her as they hugged tightly. Renesmee sniffed and finally relaxed a bit in her aunt's stony arms. She fiddled with the silver and woven charm bracelet that Jacob had left beside her bed a few days before. Just knowing that a few short days ago his fingers had touched it comforted her a little bit. However, she had not missed Stefan's eyes when they fell on the silver addition to her body.

"Alice…I…I saw the eyes...they were red and…they wanted to come after m-me…" she stuttered at the tears continued to flow.

"Who was coming after you?" Alice asked, looking down at the shaking girl in her arms.

"I-I don't know!" she exclaimed, sitting up to wipe her eyes. Alice gave her a sympathetic and slightly panicked look as the brushed her unruly curls out of her eyes and face.

"Your future keeps changing…I'm sorry I can't see you more clearly…I just wish I could make it all better," Alice sad ruefully.

"I know you would Alice…I know you would," Renesmee said, nodding at her.

Alice's lips were in a thin line as she watched her petrified niece. She knew something was coming – but she just didn't know what.

"We'll keep you safe in the meantime, okay?"

Renesmee nodded as familiar feelings came flooding back to her.

_Why do I always have to be the one everyone is protecting?_

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

"Alice, please try."

"She clearly is Edward! Please relax and give her some room to concentrate!"

"She could see her before, why is this so different?" Edward fumed.

"We have to know what's going on!"

"Great, just great! Renesmee is in danger and we can't even help her!"

"Are you sure you can't see her?"

"I'm positive," a very frustrated Alice groaned from the couch. Her pretty eyes fell to the floor as her panicked family members flitted all around her. Jasper looked on with a sympathetic gaze.

"Alice-"

"Don't you think I'm trying!" she snapped.

Bella patted her hand reassuringly, and Jasper put his arm protectively around her as she fretted.

Alice had finally broken down and told Edward and the rest of her family about the strange visions she had been having about a mysterious vampire, and now everyone was in full panic mode. She hadn't wanted to tell them, but she knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something bad happened to her niece.

Edward and Rosalie both paced in front of them furiously, while the Denali clan watched from the couch on the other side of the room. Emmett was standing in the middle of the room, his fists bunched up and ready for a fight. Stefan observed the scene that was taking place from the corner – he wasn't sure what to think.

"There won't be a fight tonight, Emmett, settle down please," Edward muttered, eying his brother. Emmett nodded, noticeably calming himself with a grunt. He sat on the coffee table in the middle of the room, watching as Edward continued to pace.

"We don't even know if this dream means anything, Alice. Edward and I have seen her have this dream before; it could just be a deep rooted fear that she keeps thinking about before she falls asleep," Bella tried to comfort her.

"Listen to Bella, honey," Jasper said softly, stroking Alice's arm.

"Either way! So even if there is nothing looking for her- no, hunting her, she's having thoughts so terrible that she wakes up from her nightmares?" Alice said.

Edward shook his head as he paced. "Please just concentrate Alice. You said it yourself – you can see her when you concentrate on her future."

Alice sighed and tried to focus her panicky thoughts enough to see her niece's future, but all she got was a fuzzy blur. She threw up her hands while Jasper and Bella both tried to comfort her.

"I can't…I can't! It all keeps changing, and it's fuzzy as all hell anyway!"

"We must protect her at all costs!" Rosalie growled, looking at the rest of the room.

"Then we will," Emmett growled back.

"Please, Emmett," Bella sighed, giving him a look of warning. He grunted again and looked up at Rosalie.

"It's okay, I'm upset too," she replied, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Well, we can't just sit here and wait! I will not have my daughter act as _bait_!" Edward hissed. "We need to figure out what this means."

"Like I said, it doesn't mean anything is coming after her!" Bella reminded him. "I used to have nightmares all the time – they were just a result of bad thoughts I had right before I fell asleep."

"Yes, this is true," Edward agreed. Bella was the last person close to him to remember sleep, and he took her opinion seriously.

"May I suggest something?" Stefan spoke up.

"Of course," Edward mumbled, motioning towards him. Stefan walked slowly to the middle of the room, his mouth turned into a slight scowl.

"What if, we all just keep a close watch on her, as usual. We don't take her out of hearing range of Edward – you would be able to hear an intruder's thoughts as long as he or she was within a what – three mile radius?"

Edward nodded. Stefan took a breath and continued. "Well, we wait. We'll take her out so that she doesn't think anything is really wrong, and never leave her alone outside the house. If there is anything, it will get frustrated and undoubtedly do something when at least one of us is around, wouldn't you think?"

"So babysit her constantly. Great," Rosalie muttered. "She'll really go for that,"

"It would be worth it to keep her safe," Edward growled. Alice winced and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He nodded and looked out at the tree line, frowning. He had no doubt that his friends and family would do just about anything to protect Renesmee, but _would they die to protect her?_ He knew he and Bella definitely would, but would the rest of them? It was unfair of him to ask that of his family and friends. For once, he actually wished for Jacob Black to be there to help protect his little girl.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

As soon as she had finished going down on Jacob, Carly had moved to lie beside him on the bed and had promptly passed out. He looked over at her as she slept deeply, her warm breath blowing on his arm as she curled herself into it. Giving her sleeping form a sympathetic smile, he carefully got up. He swayed a little as he stood, getting his balance. The alcohol was definitely still affecting him as he sucked in a breath and steadied himself.

He looked down at Carly again, throwing a blanket around her. Checking to make sure she at least still had her purse, he quickly buttoned his pants and threw his shirt back on. Barely anything registered with him as he stumbled down the steps of the house and out the front door, pushing people out of his way as he jogged outside. Once he was out into the cool, fall night air, he gasped for breath.

The ache in his chest had gone from a dull pounding to a full out roaring pain. The heat seared through his heart as if it had been set on fire, and he grabbed at his chest, wincing as he stumbled down the sidewalk towards his dorm. All he wanted to do was sleep off this alcohol and try to forget tonight hadn't happened.

He felt horrible for what he had done…because he liked it. He had needed it. He had enjoyed it.

And nothing had ever felt so wrong in his entire life.

By the time his head hit the pillow, he was wincing from the pain of what he had just done. He had heard tales from the other pack members about wolves who had tried to fool around with other girls while waiting for younger imprints to grow up and become the appropriate age – it never went well. And now Jake knew why.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

By morning, it became evident that what he thought had been pain last night had just been a subtle reminder of Renesmee. Now it felt like someone was taking a jackhammer to his head and carving her name into his forehead.

_I literally feel like I'm being punished_, he thought, rubbing his temples. He squinted at the bright light that was flooding the bedroom. It was almost as if daylight knew what he had done in the dark of night and was now punishing him for it.

"Ulgh," he gasped, getting up from his bed to stand. He glared at Mike, who was snoring away on the top bunk. Jacob grabbed the cord to the blinds and yanked it, sending them crashing down to meet the sill. Mike snorted and barely stirred in his sleep. Rolling his eyes, he stretched and tried to get rid of the splitting pain in his head and chest. Nothing seemed to help.

He knew what he was going to have to do. He picked up his phone from his desk and silently opened the door to his room. Walking down the quiet hall, he noticed that it was still almost silent.

_Must be early,_ he thought. He padded his bare feet down to the lounge at the end of the hall, and flopped down on the vinyl couches. Glaring at his beat up phone, he finally picked it up and dialed her number. His head was throbbing, and he knew that it would stop a little if maybe they worked out a few problems.

It rang a few times, and he held his breath. He just wanted the throbbing pain in his head to stop, and he had a feeling that hearing her voice would help.

"Hello?" she croaked. He was instantly on edge – was she hurt? She sounded hurt!

"Nessie?"

"Jake?"

"What's the matter? Where are you? Are you hurt?"

"No, no, Jake. I…" she trailed off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I promise." She glanced down at the silver bracelet on her wrist and her heart instantly began to ache for him.

"Why do you sound like crap?" he asked, sitting up on the couch.

"Gee, thanks.." she said, rolling her eyes. Glancing at her clock, she winced at the early hour.

"What I meant was why do you sound so bad?"

"Why are you calling so early? What time is it there?" she asked, changing the subject. She really did not want to waste phone time with Jacob by telling him about her bad dreams like a little child.

"I don't know, early. Don't change the subject," he replied gruffly.

She recoiled a bit, shocked at his tone. "Jake, I…why are you calling me?"

"I…I don't know…I just needed to hear your voice. Is that so bad?" he snapped.

"Jake, where have you been? You were here the other night. Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. His voice sounded so good that it _hurt._

He was in no mood for her game of twenty questions. His fist shook as she spoke.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" he asked. "Don't lie," he commanded in his Alpha voice. "I can tell something is wrong."

"Jake, you just disappear in the woods one night, I don't hear from you for weeks, then you show up on my birthday when I'm already asleep, and then call me two days later and expect me not to have been worried?"

"I can explain, I just…with school and everything, it's been crazy, and I just didn't know what to say anyway."

"You didn't know what to say? Damn skippy you didn't know what to say! I've waited to hear from you for weeks!"

"Nessie, I was just busy, okay? I'm calling you now, that's all that matters."

"Is that so?"

Jacob winced. She was pissed. And she had every right to be.

"Ness, I just needed to hear your voice, okay?" he said, half gasping. The pain in his head had gone from a dull roar to a throbbing, splitting migraine. It hurt even to blink. "Well I have news…you really didn't seem to miss me too much. You've been busy, Renesmee. I could smell him on you."

She fumed, her cheeks lighting up with shame and resentment at him. "How dare you! Jake, you've been gone. You kissed me, then you rejected me, and made your feelings quite clear. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Run into this 'Stefan's arms I guess, I-"

"He at least was here for me on my birthday. He doesn't reject me, Jake. He pays attention to me and is there for me and makes me feel…whole again. And if you don't like it, then screw you!"

"Ness…I'm sorry...I just…don't do this to me. I can't live without you – don't go with him. I'm sorry…don't do this...I'll die without you, Nessie-"

"Yeah? Well I have news for you, Jacob Black. I needed you too, but you weren't there. But that doesn't matter now, does it? Everything is ruined," she said, the tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke.

"What are you talking about? Renesmee, you know how things have to be between us! I couldn't…I just…I'm not going to have this conversation with you over the phone, and that's final!"

She fumed. How dare he!

"Yes, you're right Jacob. We're not having this discussion over the phone. In fact, we're not having this conversation anymore at all."

_Click. _

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

She snapped the phone shut and clenched her teeth. Within seconds, the silver phone flew through the air and shattered as it hit the far wall. A few bits of drywall fluttered to the floor and left a dent. She would have felt bad for damaging Carmen's house normally, but not today. She quickly threw some clothes on and raced down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, looking at his daughter.

"Out," she snarled, flinging the back doors open.

"I'll go," Rosalie said, taking off after her. Edward nodded as the rest of his family watched with alarmed eyes. No one wanted her to be alone, but Edward knew she would be safe with Rosalie. When provoked, Rosalie was not a vampire to be messed with.

Rosalie caught up to her a few hundred yards away from the Denali house. She knew that Edward would be able to hear the thoughts of an attacker as far as three or four miles out, so as long as they didn't go that far they would be safe.

"Are you following me?" Renesmee growled, turning around to face Rosalie. Rosalie retracted, looking hurt.

"I just didn't want you to run off upset is all," Rosalie pouted. Renesmee kicked at a rock under her toe and sighed. She shared a special bond with the blond vampire that not many people did, and she felt bad for yelling at her.

"I just want to get away from that house for awhile and just…be!" she huffed as she began to walk. Rosalie's heart broke for her niece.

It was no secret that being a vampire was not what Rosalie would have chosen for herself. However, that part of her was softening with each year she spent with Emmett. If her fiancée would have never beaten her to the brink of death, and if Carlisle wouldn't have saved her, she would have never met Emmett. He was her entire reason for living this life…this…existence that they lived. She couldn't imagine life without him, and she felt horrible that Nessie didn't have anyone to share that with her. Her expression softened as she watched her move through the trees; she wasn't really going anywhere specific, just wandering.

Rosalie felt like she was intruding on a private moment, so she hung back. She would have hated it when she was younger if someone was hovering over her during one of her tantrums.

"Don't go far," Rosalie warned as Renesmee continued to stomp through the wilderness.

She grunted a response, grabbing a sapling and ripping it from the ground. Throwing it into a hillside, it made a satisfying crunch as it fell to the ground with a shudder. She didn't know why she was even out there – she wasn't even thirsty.

The two women walked for several hours – Renesmee leading them in a zigzagging trail around the forest. Rosalie followed behind silently, trying her best to blend in with the trees.

Eventually, she caught the scent of some deer nearby. She knew Renesmee smelled it too, and the two of them quietly headed in the direction of the herd. Deer were Rosalie's favorite – they were small, but provided a quick chase and an easy kill, and they were also fairly easy to drain without staining clothes.

Rosalie caught Renesmee's eye just as they were crouching at the tree line. A herd of about fifteen deer were grazing in the small clearing approximately fifty yards in front of them.

Suddenly, Rosalie jerked her head to the other side of the small clearing, her nose catching another familiar scent, but not food this time. Renesmee caught it at the same time, looking at her aunt with a panicky look. They both knew that smell.

Vampire.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

Jake stared at the phone he held in his hand, shocked. Renesmee had just hung up on him, and out of anger no less. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened. He kept looking at his phone again and again, still so confused.

He growled as he stood up in the rec room. His fists began to shake and blur, and he could feel his spine tingling with the familiar heat of an oncoming phase. He was alone, but there was no way he could risk phasing right there. Without thinking, his fist connected with the wall, sending shards of plaster and dust into the air as he pounded it.

He stared at the large hole his fist had just made, and he could barely feel his hand screaming out in pain.

It was no use. Nothing was going to fix this for him. Slowly, he walked back down to his room. The pounding in his head felt worse, if that was even possible. Mike was still snoring away on his top bunk, and the TV was still on and blaring. Wincing, he shut it off and dug through Mike's top dresser drawer. He knew there had to be something in here for him to take…

He grabbed the bottle of Advil and glanced at the label, frowning. If a regular human man was supposed to take two every four hours, how many was a were wolf supposed to take?

_They should make a label for that…._

He huffed and dumped eight or nine into his hand and downed them quickly. A sinking feeling in his stomach made him think that it wasn't really going to do much good, but he shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water out of their mini fridge, downing it as well. If anything, it wouldn't hurt him.

He set his phone down on his desk and rubbed his temples. He still couldn't believe Renesmee had the audacity to hang up on him. His fists started to slightly shake just at the thought of it, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. The pain in his chest was still very much present, and he felt like he was going to be physically sick. He _never _felt that way.

His first instinct was to feel really bad about what had happened with Carly – he had never gone that far with a girl before and he had expected for it to be slightly scary being that intimate with someone. Guiltily, he admitted that it wasn't. It had been great and he had liked it. The only part that he didn't like was the Carly part. He felt bad, because he knew he had used her. It wasn't right for him to be picturing someone else's lips on his, running down his body to his- well, he just knew that it wasn't right.

Something had to give. If she wouldn't talk to him, then he would just go back to Forks and make her talk. They had to be back from Alaska by now, right?

He glanced at his phone and winced. Calling her didn't ever seem to go very well. No, this needed a different approach. He scrawled a note to Mike saying he had to run home to La Push for a family emergency. He would just miss class today and spend the weekend at home, fixing whatever it was that was going on with Renesmee, and be back by Sunday night. Yes, for now that would have to do.

He grabbed his leather cord and an extra set of shorts before leaving his dorm. He walked to the edge of campus and through a few neighborhoods until he reached the woods. It was early yet, and no one was even out to see him disappear into the forest and strip down. He left his clothes in a hollow, rotting tree, and tied his shorts to his leg before phasing.

He began the run, his warm breath coming out in small clouds in front of his snout. The pain in his head and chest subsided a little as he got closer and closer to Forks.

He was almost instantly greeted by Quil, who was finishing up night patrol.

_Jake!_

_Yeah, it's me. Hey Quil. What are you doing nights for? I thought you and Jared switched so that you could sleep outside Claire's window?_

_Yeah, that's what we were doing. Jared needed to stay home for a few days with Kim._

_Is she okay? Is she sick? _

_You could say that. She's going to have a baby! Or a puppy, however you want to look at it! Ha ha ha…_

_Nice. That's great for him though. _

_Yeah, we were all pretty excited. They think she's about a month along…she was going to go to the doctor this morning, so Seth and I have been helping him do nights. _

_That's good._ Jacob felt a pang of envy go through him at the news. It was easy for the rest of his pack. Imprint, fall in love, date, get married, have kids…it was all he had ever hoped for.

_I'm sorry man._, Quil said, reading his thoughts. Jacob felt his friend see his visions of the same thing, only with him and Renesmee.

_So why you phasing? Are you…wait, are you coming home? _He asked, catching glimpses of the scenery around Jacob.

_You're heading west! Towards La Push!_

_Yes Quil, I'm coming home. Just for the weekend though. _

_Oh, that's too bad. We miss you Jake. It's not the same without our Alpha._

_You know I hate being called that._

_Well it's true!_

_Just keep it on the down low, okay? I'm just coming home for the weekend to deal with a few things._

_Renesmee?_

_How'd you know?_

_Lucky guess. Is she back yet? I was just over by their house and I didn't smell her anywhere-_

_Wait, you mean she's still in Alaska?_

_I would guess so. You really haven't talked to her?_

_I have…last night. It didn't go so well. I got drunk and…did some stuff I regret. _

_What did you do?_

_We'll talk about it later. I need to talk to you and Collin._

_Okay, will do. I'm sorry about Nessie man, that's rough. You guys will work it out though. You have to._

_I hope so. I'll be home in a few hours._

_Sweet. Alright, I'm going to bed. _

_Later._

Jacob continued his run home, satisfied that he would be able to make time to talk with Quil and Collin, both of whom who had imprinted on their mates when they were just children. Both of them had had a hell of a time explaining to the girls' parents why a sixteen and a seventeen year old wanted to spend so much time with little girls. It had been an interesting few weeks when that all happened.

The more he ran however, the more irritated he became about the fact that Nessie was still in Alaska. They had never taken a family vacation that lasted this long. This was making him insane.

_x-X-x-X-x-X-x_

Author's Note:

Okay guys, **please** don't hate me for what Jake did in this chapter. Jake is frozen in a strange, awkward time in his life age-wise and I think that combined with his lack of real world experience would make him do some questionable things. To Jake, it was a lot easier for him to act angry and try to get even for Nessie smelling like a rival vampire than it was for him to admit to her that she hurt him and made him sad. He's a jealous boy, and he's hurting.

In my mind, these characters aren't perfect people, and they will do things that make you want to shake them. I wanted to let them both experience other people in a romantic/sexual way so that they could feel the longing for each other when they did stray from each other. **Bottom Line: People make mistakes and do stupid things. Even if they love each other. **

I believe that even with the imprint, they would still both wonder about what it would be like if they had other options. Granted, they're both a little miserable, but I feel like it would make their relationship stronger eventually. Thoughts? Please don't hate me guys : )


	22. I know you're sayin'

_Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die  
I'm sorry I'm bad I'm sorry you're blue  
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back_

_Sorry – Buckcherry_

No Author's note! Just read!

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Rosalie's wide, alert eyes met Renesmee's as they stood in the forest surveying the sights and smells around them. They both crouched behind a tree, diligently watching and waiting.

'_Vampire',_ Rosalie mouthed to her. She nodded, trying her best to calm herself and slow her rapidly fluttering heart. It was no use. Any vampire would be able to hear her heartbeat and smell the blood flowing through her veins quite easily.

Whoever it was, they had had the same idea as Rose and Renesmee: a herd of deer was a quick and easy meal.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind them and both women whirled around to face the other side of the clearing, but still the owner of the scent was out of their sight.

Rosalie sniffed the air and frowned, and Renesmee did the same until she recognized the smell. She began to run in the direction before Rosalie could stop her, and in seconds she had found the culprit

"Garrett!" She yelled happily, playfully pouncing on the vampire in front of her. He grinned over her shoulder at a scowling Rosalie and hugged Renesmee.

"Aw, come now Rosalie! You're just miffed that she saw me first!"

"I just don't appreciate the sneakiness involved, but I'll survive," She huffed. Garrett grinned, his sparkling white teeth glowing in the moonlight.

"Still maintaining Kate's diet, I see?" Rosalie observed, noticing Garrett's eyes. Garrett had been one of the vampires that had adopted a vegetarian diet after spending time with the Cullens years ago.

"Yes, well, I know how much it means to her."

Rosalie's eyebrows rose, and Renesmee climbed off his shoulders with a laugh.

"As I'm sure it still does," a voice said from the trees.

They heard a rustle in the brush and suddenly Emmett and Edward appeared with them in the clearing, each of them grinning widely. Renesmee grinned as her father and uncle greeted their old friend from many years ago.

"Garrett, good to see you man!" Emmett boomed, smacking him on the shoulder. Garrett winced, grinning at Edward.

"No, no one was expecting you here," Edward answered his thoughts. Garrett gave him an optimistic look and shrugged.

"I heard your thoughts from the house and I knew you were coming – I didn't say anything to anyone but Emmett," Edward added.

"And I thank you for that," he said.

"So you're back for good then?" Rosalie asked, her arms still crossed.

"Rose," Edward chided her. "It's none of your business. This is between Garrett and Kate."

"I'm just wondering! He's not the one that has to watch her every day," Rosalie muttered, turning away from them. "We should be getting home soon."

"Watch her?" Garrett asked, frowning slightly. He looked from one pair of eyes to another, searching for the meaning behind Rosalie's grumblings.

"Let's just head home, shall we?" Edward asked, gesturing in the direction of the Denali house.

"Sure, let's," Garrett said, picking up his small backpack. He nervously followed them home, and Renesmee glanced at him several times as they ran. He seemed very anxious about seeing Kate and the rest of the Denali family again. She knew that he and Kate had fallen in love when they met at the Cullen's years ago, but she also knew that almost two hundred years prior spent as a roaming vampire had taken its toll on their relationship.

Garrett had been a typical vampire when Rosalie and Emmett had recruited him to become a witness for Renesmee; he roamed the world alone and consumed human blood. However, that had all changed when he had laid eyes on Kate. She had made him reconsider his way of life, and he had changed his diet and lived in Denali for almost two years before he became antsy.

Everyone had assumed he would have resorted back to his old way of life and diet upon leaving, and Renesmee knew that she was as amazed as everyone else to discover that his eyes matched the golden topaz of the rest of her family.

The five of them ran home, Edward leading the way. Renesmee brought up the rear with a very nervous looking Garrett. When they arrived back at the house, he paused slightly before entering.

"Back so soon?" Carmen asked, flouncing into the room. She froze when she saw Garrett, her golden eyes wide and her black hair swaying around her as she stood there. She turned and looked at Eleazar, who was also standing beside her, frozen.

"Does she know?" Carmen hissed, looking at Garrett.

"No, I didn't tell her I was coming back," Garrett replied, looking at the floor quietly.

"She will absolutely freak out!" Carmen hissed again, throwing her hands in the air for emphasis. Renesmee smiled at her; she loved how her Spanish accent really came out when she was angry or excited about something.

"Well I'm glad you're back," she said to him, patting him on the shoulder. Bella smiled at him as well, offering him a hug.

"Welcome back Garrett," she said, grinning at him. The rest of the Cullens all welcomed him, and Tanya as well.

Suddenly they all whipped their heads in the direction of Kate, who was returning from town. Her car pulled up and the engine stopped, and they all waited as she walked into the now quiet house.

"Why is it so quie-" Kate asked, suddenly freezing halfway through her sentence. Her eyes darted around the room, finally landing on Garrett. Their eyes locked, and Renesmee felt herself shiver as imaginary sparks flew between the two of them.

"You left," she whispered, dropping the bags in her hand.

"I came back, love," he whispered in reply.

The rest of the vampires in the room exchanged looks, and it was apparent that they were intruding on this conversation. Silently, they all backed away and left the two of them to talk. Bella grabbed Renesmee's hand and lead her upstairs to her room silently.

"Mom, are they going to be okay?" Renesmee asked. "I mean, he left her for so many years! Is she just going to forgive him?"

Bella smiled to herself, then bit her lip and looked over at her daughter. "People forgive those they love for a lot of things. I think so," she replied, nudging her daughter.

"Ulgh, I was talking about them, mom, not me and Jake," Renesmee said, reaching up to press her palm to her mother's cheek. She showed her mother visions of her family members giving her looks of sympathy every time Jacob's name was brought up, and pictures from her memory of the trip to Alaska in the car when she had constantly checked her phone for Jacob's call.

"We'll see," Bella murmured.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Later that day, Renesmee snuck out of her room and went down the hall to Stefan's, where she knew he was.

Knocking quietly, she waited with baited breath for him to answer. "Come in," he finally called softly. She walked into his room timidly, breathing in his familiar, pleasant but manly scent. He was lying on his couch, writing in one of his journals, his hand moving over the pages quickly as he scratched out the words.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked. He looked up, his golden eyes noticeably darker than usual.

He nodded, closing the journal and setting it down beside him. "Go ahead," he said quietly, his thirsty eyes falling to the floor.

"Stefan, you need to hunt," she said. He looked up at her briefly, his dark eyes full of hurt and rejection. She felt another familiar pang of shame and sadness hit her heart, and she felt horrible for putting him through the wringer like this.

"I'll go when I'm ready," he said, his voice soft but sharp. She winced and looked away, her eyes falling on the forest.

"Well….I just wanted to say that I'm sorry...about what happened the other day. I didn't mean to…sometimes it just gets away from me, and…" she looked down at her palms, and shrugged at him sadly.

He nodded. "I just didn't like the he fact that I was being judged and compared with someone else when all I wanted to do was give you…anything you wanted."

She looked down at the soft carpet, a wave of disgrace washing over her. She could hear the hurt and pain in his voice, she could see it in his eyes. Disappointment hung in the air so thick it might as well have been a fog settling over the room.

"Stefan…there's probably nothing I can say that will fix this. I wouldn't expect to. I'm so sorry for what happened, and I just want to explain it to you."

He looked at her expectantly with his hurt eyes, and she took a shaky breath before continuing.

"You see…Jake…is my best friend. And I told you that things were changing between us, and it has been ripping me apart these past few weeks. I won't lie to you and say that he means nothing to me, because I could never say that. But…he rejected me. He told me no, that my feelings for him weren't right."

He stared at her, listening to her pleading voice.

"I just…it's been hard to forget about someone who was such a large part of my life for so long, and it's still going to take time."

"I have nothing but time, Renesmee."

"I know that. I just…don't want to be unfair to you. Stefan…I might never forget him. And I can't stand here and ask for forgiveness unless you know that about me. Jacob…" she trailed off, unable to finish as tears welled in up her eyes.

"I want to wait," he said suddenly. "I'll always be here, for as long as you need me."

"That's not fair to you. I know it's not – you can't live like that. It might take me awhile to get over him, if I ever do. It's not right to let you live with the idea that I'm not over him. I want to be with you, Stefan. But I have a past that continues to haunt me, no matter what I do."

He nodded. "So far, nothing you've said has changed my mind. I'm still…hurt, and I'm not going to lie –it really killed me to know that I couldn't even succeed in taking your mind off of him," he said, standing up and walking over to her. She inhaled his scent as he moved closer and closer to her and she couldn't deny that it was comforting.

_Different, but comforting._

"Renesmee…you are the one thing that has given me peace and happiness in this life so far. My life was empty until I met you, and I would have to be crazy to throw that away."

"It's not fair to you…."

He stopped in front of her, his arms finally reaching around her body to embrace her tightly. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens."

She sunk into his embrace, relieved to have been forgiven. However, she couldn't stop the turmoil that was swirling in the pit of her stomach.

_Am I doing the right thing?_

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

By the time Jacob flew into La Push, it was almost dark. The sky was bright with a brilliant orange and pink sunset, but Jacob was too busy planning what he would say to Billy and the rest of his pack. He told them not to expect him home until Christmas. This was not going to be an easy trip to explain.

He loped up to the house and phased quickly, pulling on his shorts. He didn't really think his father would want to see him for the first time in almost a month stark naked.

Billy looked up from the newspaper he was reading at the kitchen counter, his dark eyes not showing a bit of surprise to see his son standing in his kitchen. Jacob panted, visibly worn from his all-day run.

"Hello, son," Billy said calmly. Jacob nodded, flopping down at the table.

"Sorry…I had to come home."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Billy muttered.

"So you know?"

Billy nodded. "Charlie told me that the Cullens were taking a vacation to Alaska…when they were gone for more than a week or two I began to wonder if something else was up….can't say that I'm surprised to see you, like I said."

"Yeah…I screwed things up…big time."

Billy raised one eyebrow, but appeared otherwise uninterested. "You've got bigger problems?"

"The coven up in Denali has two new vamps…or one, I guess."

"How so?"

"I don't know, one left after they changed him. Great, another blood-thirsty leech running around, terrorizing Alaska," he snorted.

"What's this about new leeches?"

Quil came bursting in the door followed by Seth, both of them grinning. They punched Jacob on the shoulder, visibly happy that their friend was back.

"So Alpha-man is back in town to try and beg his imprint to forgive him!" Seth teased in a mocking voice. Jacob scowled at Quil.

"Way to keep your trap shut, jerk."

Quil threw up his hands. "Hey! I didn't say anything!"

"Like it's a secret!" Seth laughed. "Sorry, Jakey….man, two runs to Alaska in a week – you're really burning the midnight oil, buddy."

Jacob glared at them. "I don't even know what to do anymore. This is all such a mess…my imprint is up running around in Alaska for some reason with a practically newborn bloodsucker…I have no idea how to even begin to fix this.

Quil shrugged. "You could go talk to Carlisle."

"And what good would that do?"

"Or just call Edward! He'll talk to you!" Seth said, taking a seat beside Billy. He looked at the three of them and shrugged, as if it was the natural thing to call up a vampire.

"Not after what I did…" Jacob mumbled, running his hands through his shaggy hair.

"What did you do? And you need a haircut!" Seth exclaimed, grabbing an apple out of the bowl on the counter and biting into it. Jacob grabbed one and threw it at him, barely missing his head.

"Hey!" Seth said, grabbing that one as well. He frowned as he chewed them both, one in each hand.

"Shut up Seth," Jacob growled. "You're getting on my nerves already."

"Sorry, sorry…Jake, you can't be upset about kissing Nessie. She's your imprint! That's what's supposed to happen."

"Says Mr. Terminally Single," Quil added, rolling his eyes. Seth chucked another apple at him and Quil dodged out of the way, grinning at him.

"Hey, I imprinted. I'm no longer single. Screw you," Seth shot back.

"Not my fault!"

"Seth, shut up!" Jacob yelled, eyeing a very surprised looking Billy. "I have enough problems. Renesmee was pissed when she found out I went up there last week."

"Is this true, son? " Bill asked. "You talked to her? You and Nessie talked about the imprint?"

Seth snorted. "You'd think that, wouldn't you?"

"Seth," Jacob growled again. He looked back at his father. "Not exactly…."

"And by that you mean…?"

"I told you things were messed up," Jacob told his dad. Billy shook his head at his son and sat back in his chair to listen.

"I just kissed her before I went to school…then I told her it was a mistake…then…I kinda didn't call her for a few weeks – I figured she was so pissed at me that she wouldn't want to talk. Now she's up there cavorting around with some new bloodsucker that the Denali coven has…. That was all!" he exclaimed quickly as Billy raised his eyebrows even higher.

"So you didn't tell her about the imprinting, but you still changed the relationship?"

Jacob growled, lowering his eyes to the wooden table in front of him. Billy looked at Quil and Seth, questions in his eyes, but remained silent.

Everyone knew that wolves who had younger imprints went through several stages. First, they were like big, protective brothers. Next, they naturally transformed into an advice-giving playmate, a best friend. Finally, when the girl was at their age or close to it, she would be told of the imprint and the relationship changed to that of a romantic one. It was an un-assumed rule that the imprint would be told of what had happened and be given time to adjust before the relationship turned physical.

Jacob looked around at his pack mates and father. The quiet in the kitchen seemed to consume them all.

"Okay, so I might have skipped an important step!" Jacob boomed, standing up quickly. The chair he was sitting in flew backwards and hit the wall. He stalked from the room and out the front door. His fists began to shake, but he quickly took a deep breath and calmed himself – the last thing he needed was his pack mates in his head reading his confused thoughts about Renesmee. No, that was not what he wanted at the moment at all.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"So, what is the big deal about Garrett coming home, anyway?" Stefan whispered the next day.

"I don't know. Kate still looks like she's really sad that he left in the first place. Maybe she doesn't forgive so easily," she replied, picking up a book. She lowered her eyes and tried to look nonchalant – this wasn't exactly the conversation she wanted to have with Stefan.

_Too close to home, _she thought.

Stefan shrugged. They were in Eleazar's library again, going through his collection of books.

"He was already gone when I arrived. He's been gone almost four years…."

Renesmee nodded, turning her attention back to her search for a new book. She and Stefan had developed a hobby of picking up their favorite novels and reading each other their chosen quotes.

"I guess I just don't understand what the big deal is."

"He left her!" Renesmee hissed, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

"But he couldn't dedicate himself to her lifestyle! He would rather leave than disappoint her!" Stefan hissed back, his green and topaz eyes ablaze.

Their friendship and awkward romantic relationship had picked back up relatively normally, and she wasn't pleased to be bickering with him now.

Renesmee rolled her eyes and flipped a curl behind her shoulder. She moved her low, v-neck black sweater up on her shoulders, adjusting it so that it hung more naturally on her chest. She heard Stefan stiffen and saw his eyes dart away from her.

_Was he…looking at me?_ She thought to herself.

"He still shouldn't have left," she muttered grumpily.

Stefan tossed a book on the table next to him and turned to look at her.

"Why? He didn't want to upset her anymore so he left. If he cared about her, it was the right thing to do. He probably just didn't want to hurt her anymore."

"He still should have stuck around to see if he could change…you never know!"

"People don't change because you want them to. If I've learned anything in this new life it is that people have to _want _to change for the better."

"What are you getting at? He still should have tried to work it out. Leaving her was insane…they were in love," she said softly. "You didn't have to be a genius to be around them and know that."

"You know, you seem to be really stuck on this whole '_he left her'_ thing. I'm starting to guess that something about that irks you somehow," he said haughtily.

She froze. He had guessed. She kept her eyes averted and tried to remind calm.

"No, I just understand why Kate might have a hard time accepting him back is all."

"So, let me get this straight," he said firmly. "He left so that he wouldn't disappoint her, and now he's back to try again and you think she should hold a grudge?"

"No, not a grudge. She just shouldn't forget so easily."

"Why's that?"

"Because."

"That's not a good answer," he huffed at her.

"So? It doesn't need to be! If Kate wants to be angry with him for leaving her in the first place, then I think that's her business and not ours!" she huffed back.

"I'm starting to really think you're holding a grudge about this whole 'abandonment' thing, and I think I'm right. That irritates you," he said, almost fascinated.

"It does not! Mind your own business!" she said, raising her voice a little more.

"Let me guess…your wolfy friend?"

Her mouth dropped open in shock. Stefan was usually so sweet and debonair…the way he was talking to her now was more challenging, more authoritative…almost like Jacob. She promptly closed her mouth and threw down the book she was holding before stomping out of the library and out to find someone else to talk to.

_How dare he talk to her like that? It was none of his business what had happened with Jacob. He had said that Jacob didn't matter to him – but it obviously did._

She frowned when she thought of the shattered cell phone, and instantly felt even worse when she remembered destroying it after talking to him. Her emotions had been on a complete roller coaster since their short phone conversation a few days ago.

Jacob had never sounded so…_angry_. One would expect that a werewolf best friend would have problem with anger and mood swings, but not her Jacob. He had admitted a few horror stories to her, and she knew very well what had happened to Emily Uley's face. Jacob had never kept that sort of thing a secret from her, and he never would. But she still could not shake the sound of his angry voice when he had spoken to her. He sounded almost...broken.

Today's discussion with Stefan hadn't gone much easier. All at once, feelings of remorse for yelling at him flooded her head. She hadn't meant to fly off the handle with him for guessing what was plaguing her. He was a vampire for heaven's sake – being introspective and observant were tricks of the trade for him, and she shouldn't' have gotten so upset with him for that.

Looking out the window at the top of the stairs, she wished her mother wasn't out hunting with Alice, Jasper, and her dad. Bella was the only person she wanted to talk to at a time like this. Bella had been human only seven short years ago – although her human memories were slightly foggy, she did still remember human emotions and how to deal with them. Her mom always seemed to be able to say the right thing to make her feel better.

She shivered at the thought and made her way up to her room. Even if she wasn't physically exhausted, she still felt emotionally exhausted, and that was enough.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Back in La Push, Jacob wasn't feeling much better. He held Quil's beat up cell phone in his hand as he sat, frozen in thought. His phone was lost in the woods somewhere on the way between La Push and Washington State University. Quil had agreed to let him borrow it because Jacob knew Nessie would recognize the number and answer.

He looked out at the waves as they rolled back and forth on First Beach, and gripped the phone tightly.

"Well are you going to use it or aren't ya?" Quil prodded.

"Not now, Quil, really."

"Jake, you gotta lighten up man. Just call her. Just call her and tell her you're wrong, you're sorry, and that you love her. No girl can refuse that. Those three phrases are the holy trinity of relationships, I'm telling you."

"Coming from a guy whose girlfriend is still in grade school?"

Quil crossed his arms and growled. "She'll be in junior high soon enough. I can take my phone back, Jacob Black. I'm doing you a favor, jerk."

Jacob looked sideways at Quil, who was looking at her sternly.

"And for you information, Claire just turned eleven, thank you."

"Yeah but she still acts like she's eight."

Quil made a face and huffed at him. "Well..she has the rest of her life to be an adult. I'm certainly not going to hurry her along."

"You really don't mind waiting?"

Quil shook his head. "No…I mean…no, not really. She'll be old enough sooner or later. It's not like I miss anything, because it _her_. All that other stuff still matters, but I…at least hope it will matter later."

"What do you mean?"

Quil shrugged. "Same as you. I just…don't' see her like that. She's like my little sister that I really want to hang out with – that's how you were with Ness. And…I can only hope that someday she'll grow up and things change. Or not. I might just be her best friend forever."

"And you would be okay with that?"

"Wouldn't you?"

Jacob shook his head and kicked at a rock on the shore. "No…just the thought of only being her friend…ulgh. A year ago, sure. But now…I would rather die."

"Die?" Quil asked. "Really? Are we gonna be that dramatic?"

"I hate you," Jacob muttered.

"You're just jealous and you're dealing with it like a fourth grade girl."

Jacob looked up at him, scowling. "What is everyone's obsession with me acting like a fourth grade girl?"

Quil didn't say anything for a moment, then he laughed his goofy, booming laugh.

Jacob made a face at him and continued to look out at the ocean. He drew a circle in the sand with his foot and scowled at the water as it washed it away.

"How do you know so much about girls anyway? Or should I say, how do you _THINK_ you know so much about girls?"

"It's common sense, man…or at least what I can remember about dating girls," Quil repled.

"Says who? We're not dealing with a typical teenager Quil."

"Yeah yeah, you're dating a vampire. We get it, Jake. Just call her and say you're sorry, will ya? I'm sick of hearing your lusty little fantasies about her."

"Then stay the fuck out of my head!"

"I wish I could!" Quil yelled back at him. His face softened, and Jacob's did as well. Quil was his best friend, and he didn't mean to yell at him. He felt bad for making a normally goofy and light-hearted Quil feel bad.

He flipped the black, beat up Nextel phone open and dialed her number. He met Quil's reassuring gaze and hit 'send'. He waited.

It went straight to voicemail.

"What the hell?" he quipped, looking at the phone in shock.

"What?"

"She either hit 'ignore' or has her phone off. She should know I'm trying to get ahold of her, what the fuck?" he growled, snapping it shut. He glowered at the small, beat up phone in his hand before Quil reached for it.

"If you get mad and toss my phone into the water…"

Jacob was fuming. He wasn't going to bother leaving a message if she couldn't even leave her phone on long enough for him to call him back.

He didn't have much time to worry about it. Suddenly, a panicked sounding howl broke though the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the sand in front of them. Jacob and Quil both whipped their heads up in the direction of the howl and jumped to their feet.

"Embry?" Quil asked, looking at Jacob.

"No, that was Seth. Let's go."

_I picked a good weekend to come home,_ Jacob thought as he felt the fire of a phase spread through his body. Quickly, the two boys were off. They quickly stripped and phased, running into the woods. Whatever that howl was for, it wasn't good.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"So here is where you want to crescendo with the notes and really try to portray the despair and melancholy feeling…" Rosalie said, marking lightly on the sheet music in front of her.

Renesmee sighed and sat up straighter, adjusting on the piano bench beside Rosalie, who was busy trying to help her through a Chopin piece they had been working on for a few weeks.

"He's always so _depressing_," Renesmee observed, looking over the music.

"You don't like it?" Rosalie asked, looking at her sideways.

"No, I didn't say that…I like Chopin. He fits my moods lately…" she mused, running her fingers over the keys.

Ever since she and Stefan had yelled at each other yesterday, things had been tense. They had avoided each other completely in the house, making it obvious that they weren't speaking.

Rosalie pursed her lips and tried not to laugh. "You are your father's daughter."

"Very funny, Rose," Edward's voice drifted through the house and to the piano where they both sat.

He emerged soon after, appearing in front of them with a sly smile.

"Renesmee, you'll be happy to know that your new cell phone will arrive in two more days. Try not to destroy this one, okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She nodded, biting her lip in embarrassment. "I won't. I'm sorry dad."

"It's okay…accidents happen sometimes."

She nodded again, averting her eyes from her father's gaze. Even if her mother had blocked him from hearing her thoughts, she still knew that he would be able to sense something if she made eye contact with him.

Edward looked from his daughter to Rosalie for a moment, and finally walked away. Rosalie gave her a sympathetic look and patted her hand.

"Are you alright?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that," Renesmee mumbled, brushing her fingers over the keys.

Rosalie, sensing the piano lesson was over, stood and left her niece alone. If Rosalie knew anything, she knew when a young girl needed to be alone with her thoughts.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Jacob and Quil bounded up to the clearing where the wolf pack usually met and skidded to a stop.

_What's the matter? _Jacob asked, looking around. There were seventeen of them there – more than enough to take on any threat.

_Vampire, _Embry panted, still noticeably exhausted from a chase._ I lost whatever or whoever it was about ten minutes ago. The trail was too old, and the rain isn't helping. _

_Who caught the scent?_

_I did, _Seth replied.

Jacob looked at him skeptically_. Are you sure?_

_Positive. Just north of Forks. No doubt in my mind._

_You're sure it wasn't one of the Cullens? Or one of their Alaskan friends?_

_Jake, this was a new one. I know every scent of every friend of the Cullens. I even know what the Volturi smell like. I didn't know this scent._

_Okay, well if you're sure. Take me there, I want to see for myself, _Jake said.

_Okay, works for me. Like I said, just North of Forks, _Seth replied. Instantly, images of his imprint Lizzie flashed through his mind; all he could focus on was protecting her suddenly.

_Focus, Seth, _Jacob sternly reminded him.

Jacob nodded his huge head and began to delegate tasks. He organized a patrol around the Cullen's property, Charlie's house, and La Push right away before following Seth to the origin in the scent.

_Here, Seth _replied, showing him. Jacob didn't need help. The sickly sweet aroma of vampire burned in his nose as he smelled it. He was used to the smell of the Cullens by now, but not smelling vampire in a few months had really desensitized him.

_Yeah, not one I recognize. What is it doing in Forks? I don't like it, _Jacob replied.

Seth looked from him to Quil and Embry, shrugging_. Could just be passing through man. Let's not panic yet._

_No...but I don't like how it came from the North. I'm going to talk to the Cullens. Doc and Esme are still home, right?_

Seth nodded, and the four of them took off towards the Cullen mansion tucked deep in the wilderness.

_Relax man, I'm sure it's nothing, Quil _tried to reassure him as they ran.

_I don't like how it came from up north…_

_That could be completely irrelevant and you know it. Just because a scent is coming from up North and that's where Nessie is, doesn't mean a thing. Not a thing._

_I hope you're right. That family seems to be a magnet for trouble though._

_Speak for yourself. We'll get to the bottom of this. And we'll get a hold of Nessie. You'll see._

Jacob still couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach. Something still didn't feel right…..

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Carlisle shook his head, frowning.

"I haven't heard anything from Edward for a few days. But I'm sure he would let me know if someone was planning to come visit us."

Jacob nodded, looking at Seth. It just didn't make sense.

"We haven't had many travelers since Renesmee was born," Esme added softly, peeking out from behind Carlisle. "Most of the North American and Canadian vampires we know very well now," she finished, spitting out the word 'vampire'.

"We know, we just wanted to see if you knew anything," Seth added, walking over to Esme. She grinned and hugged him tightly as Carlisle smiled at him. Seth had become like an extended family member to the Cullens over the years.

"Thanks, I always know I can count on you two. I really do appreciate it," Jacob replied sincerely. And he really did mean it.

"No problem, Jake. We're happy to help. We're heading out to hunt in a few hours, and we'll take a look around as well. We'll find you the second we know anything, I promise you that," Esme added.

Jacob gave her a grateful smile and Esme stepped forward to hug him. Her diamond hard arms softened as she embraced him tightly, but not uncomfortably.

"You know I think of you as a grandson, Jake," she said softly, pulling back to look at him. He blushed, and she pinched his cheek with a quiet giggle. Her soft, wavy hair bounced a little as she grinned at him.

Jacob guffawed loudly. "You know, you don't make a very convincing vampire when you go around hugging and smiling and pinching cheeks," he said.

Esme shrugged and grinned, showing her sparkling white teeth. _"Grrr,"_ she timidly replied, holding up her hands in makeshift little claws before bursting into laugher. Carlisle shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, and the two werewolves continued to laugh. He knew that she was just joking – he had seen Esme fight off newborns and knew that she could be quite scary if she wanted to be. However, the loving, matronly vampire rarely wanted to been seen as a monster.

Jacob mirrored Carlisle's amused smirk, and continued. "You know where I'll be if you need me," he said. "Should there be a major scuffle," he added, jokingly to Esme.

"I do what I can," she added, stepping back to lean against her husband. "We'll call you the moment we hear anything."

"Thanks Esme," Seth said, looking over at her.

"Well please let me know if you hear of anything," Jacob requested to Carlisle. "I want to at least find out who this person is. I don't like having…visitors I don't know around."

Carlisle gave him a sympathetic smile. "Of course. You just want to keep Renesmee safe, I understand. She _is_ priority.…"

Jacob recoiled slightly, looking at the doctor.

_Does he know I'm in love with her…like__** that**__ now? He couldn't...Could he?_

"Well, I just…want to know is all." He said curtly, visibly shaken. Carlisle gave him a pointed look as they shook hands quickly. He knew that everyone around them – the Cullens, the pack, Billy – they all knew about the imprint. However, they did not all know that Jacob's feelings about Renesmee had significantly changed since then. Unfortunately, Edward was the only person aware of his changing feelings about his imprint.

_Renesmee must have blabbed about what happened the night before I left...silly girl…figures. Of course they know what happened. I'm an idiot and now her whole family knows it. Great. _

He narrowed his eyes as they flashed from Carlisle to Esme, and they both gave him questioning yet gentle smiles.

"Everything alright, Jacob?" the doctor asked.

He nodded, running a tired hand through his shaggy hair upon habit.

To Jacob, Carlisle was definitely the least freaky of them all, besides Bella. In fact, Carlisle was able to act more human than…well, most _humans_. But the way Carlisle had looked at him that moment made him think that he knew what had happened between them.

"We will of course let you know if anything changes," Esme said, patting Seth on the back. He nodded and looked at Jacob.

"Satisfied?"

Jacob winced a little and looked out the glass front doors into the forest. He had the strangest feeling about that scent, and he couldn't place it. Either way, he didn't like it.

"Are you boys hungry?" Esme asked, lifting her perfect eyebrows hopefully.

"You do love to cook, don't you?" Seth teased. Esme nodded and laughed.

"I miss cooking for Nessie! And you boys don't come around as much anymore," she added, playfully jutting out her bottom lip.

Jacob gave her a kind look and shook his head. "We really should get back to the woods. I want to know where that trail ends, and see if anything else has been found."

Seth's face fell, but Jacob promised they would come back later and Esme could cook for the whole pack if she pleased. At the mention of food, Seth was reluctant to leave, but Jacob could barely wait to get back on the trail of whatever it was they were following – he was growing tired of finding nothing.

He was tired of finding dead ends.

They left and phased quickly, running back into the forest and the pitch black of the late fall night. Jacob still could not shake his uneasy feeling.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Okay…once again…don't hate me…I know a lot of you were expecting Garrett to actually be someone else, but…work with me. Remember – not a short story we're dealing with here.

**Review!** I actually didn't get a whole lot of feedback on my previous Jake-behaving-badly chapter, which I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Remember – I have this story completely mapped out til the very last event, and I have reasons for writing everything : )

Remember to take my poll about the rating of this story! Right now it's 'T', but it might switch to 'M' and I don't want to lose any readers! So vote!

Also, **I now have a formspring account! ** The link is on my profile…if you aren't familiar with it, it's just a fun way to ask questions either as yourself or anonymously. So if you have a question about a fic of mine or anything related, please head over there!

Don't forget – I also have a twitter acct! I post update alerts, story teasers, progress, current projects, pics from the stories, story banners, I ask for imput, etc. Come on over and follow! We have lots of fun on twitter. **I'm TwilightCakes. **


	23. that you'd be here anyway

_Well everything was easy then, so sweet and innocent  
My demons and my angels reappear  
Leavin' only traces of the man you thought I'd be  
Too afraid to hear the words I always feared  
Leavin' you with only questions all these years  
But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear  
Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally  
This isn't how it's really meant to be_

_Always On Your Side – Sheryl Crow_

Emmett Cullen was not a complicated creature.

He had always been an agreeable vampire; he had always made the best of every situation presented to him in the multiple decades he had been alive.

All he required was plenty of time for hunting grizzlies, wrestling with his brothers, a large tv with an ESPN package, and about six hours of quality time with Rose every night and he was pretty much satisfied in general.

However, lately his mate had been a little too preoccupied with things he didn't know anything about, and it was beginning to wear on him.

"Rosie, come on, you said we'd hunt some tonight and I want to get going!" he whined, swinging absentmindedly around the base of a large tree. His motion was almost that of a bored child as he waited impatiently for his wife.

"Tanya said a herd of moose were moving through the east pasture a few hours ago, I'm sure they haven't gone too far…" Rosalie trailed off, peering around the side of the garage. They were currently out of sight of the house, preparing to go for a hunt.

"A moose? I don't want moose!" Emmett huffed. "They're too slow, no fun," he added.

Rosalie rolled her topaz eyes and crunched up her nose at her husband. "They're big and easy, and I won't ruin my clothes. I won't have to hunt again for almost two weeks if I eat one," she said absently, her gaze shifting to find what she was looking for.

She located her niece in the window seat of the third floor, attempting to read a book. Rosalie could tell that her eyes were reading the same line, over and over, for her brown eyes never left that spot on the page.

She watched her Renesmee's plump pink lips tightened together to form a firm line, and she frowned slightly.

"What's wrong babe?" He asked, walking over to her. She watched Renesmee sadly try to read her book, but to no avail – she was clearly too distracted.

"Am I doing the right thing here?" Rosalie asked, more to herself than to Emmett. He looked at her blankly, then glanced up at the window seat where Renesmee sat.

"So….are we not going hunting?"

Rosalie hissed over her shoulder at him and he backed away, hands up. "Okay okay!" he said, moving away from her. "What's the matter babe?"

He knew he was going to have to ask her about her feelings if he wanted to leave for the hunt soon. He carefully bit the inside of his cheek, waiting for his wife to unleash on him for not being sensitive enough. But, Rosalie always surprised him.

She sighed, turning away from the house to start walking towards the forest line. "I just…I want her to be happy, Emmett, and I've done everything I could to ensure that. I just want what's best for her – I want her to find love, is that so bad?"

He gave her a confused look, and she rolled her eyes. Her husband could be so obtuse sometimes.

"No?" he asked.

"I only wanted her to have some joy in life, and maybe fall in love with someone-"

"She was already in love with Jacob."

Rosalie looked up suddenly, shocked at her husband's statement. "What?" she asked, not believing her ears. Even _Emmett_ knew that Jacob was in love with Renesmee, and vice versa.

"I said she was already in love with Jacob. You knew that. Come on Rosie…you knew. I know you're not blind; you've seen how those dogs are with their 'imprints'," he said, taking her hand.

"What are you saying?" she asked, looking at him strangely.

Emmett paused, debating whether or not he was walking into a woman's-say-the-wrong-thing-I- dare-you trap. Glancing up at his niece, he stepped closer to his wife and decided to bite the bullet.

"Rosie, you knew how he felt about her. And you knew how she felt about him. Yet you still try to butt in and play matchmaker."

"I was just trying to move things along with-"

"I know!" he said with a laugh. "I know you just want her to be happy, but she's a grown up now. We have to stop 'helping' her make choices. She can make them for herself by now, don't you think?"

Rosalie nodded slowly, still amused and a bit perplexed that her husband was so in tune with what their niece needed when it came to her love life.

"Maybe just…let her do this one. It's…it's not easy, all this 'love' stuff. Remember?"

Her expression softened. "Yes, I do…I wasn't trying to do the wrong thing, I swear Emmett."

"I know you weren't. You love that little girl like she's your own."

"I suppose that's part of the problem," she said slowly, her eyes falling to the icy ground.

Emmett jammed his hands in his pockets and looked at her, his yellow eyes suddenly sympathetic.

"I know Rose, I know. We've talked about this. Renesmee is the next best thing."

"She really is," Rosalie agreed.

Emmett glanced up at Renesmee, then back at his mate. "Rose…maybe it's time to butt out and…and just let fate step in."

She stared at him, her golden yes wide. For once, Emmett actually had succeeded in making her speechless.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Several hours later, Jacob wasn't feeling much better. They had chased the scent around for what seemed like an eternity, the whole pack growing more and more frustrated as time wore on.

It came from up north, towards Seattle, and ended up in Forks. It didn't come close to Charlie's house to Jacob's relief, but it danced around Forks a lot more than he cared for. It came close to La Push, but never in the boundaries.

_It's not close to the Cullen's place or La Push…it must have just been a wanderer, _Quil tried to reason with him after several hours.

_But I don't like that I can't get a clear path of it actually leaving the area. That worries me, _Jacob thought.

_Okay, we can keep looking,_ Quil finally groaned in his head.

_Nah, it's okay. We need to organize some short patrols so that at least some of us can start getting some sleep. I'll set some of the younger guys on it – they'll like it. I need my sleep…_

_Getting old?_

_We've been our here for almost twelve hours. I'm just driving myself crazy!_ Jacob exclaimed.

_Okay Okay Jake…Agreed. This never would have happened if you would have just-_

_Finish that thought and I'll come find you._

_Jeez…cranky today, are we?_

_Quil, you're a real jackass sometimes, you know that?_

_Hey, he's only speaking the truth! _Seth added.

_Who asked you? _Jacob growled.

_Touchy Touchy… _Seth giggled.

_You laugh like a girl Seth, even in your head,_ Quil snapped. Jacob instantly felt bad – Quil hardly ever got grouchy. He must have worn his beta out for him to snap at Seth.

_Shut up Seth. I'm going back to Billys. Howl if you need me. _

_Oh Jake, I DO need you! _Seth teased in his best girly voice.

_Do you have a death wish?_ Quil wondered.

_Quit squirreling around and call me if you need me,_ Jake finally snapped at them both.

_Haha! Okay…we'll do that, _Seth quipped.

With that, Jacob headed back to Billy's house and phased, walking inside. It was well after midnight and he knew the Billy would be asleep, so he tried to stay quiet. He knew his dad had been used to his son's pack coming and going at strange hours of the night for years, but Jacob could sense that his dad was tired enough.

His brow furrowed as he scoured the kitchen for a late night snack. He was losing weight already from not eating as much at college, and his tight budget didn't help. A strange vampire scent didn't help on top of his troubles with Renesmee. This just didn't make sense. They did get rogue vampires from time to time, but they let it be when they could see that the trails were cold and had clearly left the area. The more he followed this scent, the more it made him nervous.

He made himself a quick sandwich and grabbed a few cans of soda from the fridge before heading to his bedroom. Without the Cullens around, he sure wasn't eating as much as he would have liked to. Turns out, the Cullens supported almost 90 percent of the pack's dietary needs over the past seven or eight years, and he missed that greatly. Suprisingly, Esme and even Edward were good cooks, and had no qualms about making the boys food when they wanted it. He was even relieved to know that Bella hadn't lost her touch in the kitchen either. He missed food in large quantities….He wasn't getting enough to eat at school - turns out food was expensive.

He winced to himself as he thought of another painful reminder why he should be trying harder in school – he needed a degree to get a good job to make money to support Renesmee. In his heart he knew that Renesmee was a lot like Bella – she could care less about money and what he could give her, but that didn't make it any easier. He still would have liked to have been able to take her out on a fancy date once in awhile, and make sure she had the things she needed to be happy. And, their children if he even allowed himself to think of that.

Munching on his food, he sprawled across his bed and thought about what_ real_ date with Nessie would be like. After years of treating her like a little sister, it was going to be strange. _Strange but great_, he added to himself.

_If it ever even happened, _he thought with a growl. Still, he felt better trying to picture it.

In his mind, he had their first date all planned out. The entire thing would be minus daddy Edward's help. He could borrow one of the guy's nicer vehicles – Jared came from some money, and his car was fairly nice. Jacob was sure he'd let him borrow it. They would go to a nice little Italian restaurant, maybe in Port Angeles again like that first date-like night they had had earlier that year. It had been the closest thing he had ever had to a date, and he would have liked a repeat of something like it. Somewhere quiet and quaint – romantic things always seemed to happen to people in little Italian joints.

They would eat a nice meal, and maybe he would get her flowers. Lilies, just like the ones that grew under her window sill at the cottage where he slept most nights. He would wear one of the button up shirts Alice had bought for him, and maybe even a tie! He grimaced at the thought of a tie, but quickly decided he would wear one for Nessie. After dinner he would take her for a walk on the beach – the moon would be bright and full. _Yes_, he nodded to himself – _a full moon always spelled romance._

When the moon was high and bright in the sky, he would turn and look at her, giving her his best 'I'm handsome, and I'm yours', look he would sweep her into his arms and confess about the imprint and his love for her. Not the brotherly, family member like love he had had for her for years – the _'I want you to shack up with me and have my wolf babies_' kind of love.

He would tell her that he was made for her, she was perfect to him, and that their wait was over. He would kiss her passionately and she would kiss him back in the moonlight, the stars sparkling off the water…and then they would live happily ever after.

_That doesn't even sound right placed on the end of my fantasies,_ he thought sourly.

He instantly felt stupid for picturing such a scenario, and even more stupid to admit to himself that it wasn't the first time he had had those thoughts. Not being around Edward had given him the security to really _think _about those types of things for the first time. And even if Nessie wasn't exactly speaking to him at the moment, he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"Once again, I _can_ hear you ,you know," Renesmee sighed, looking up from her reading. She was sitting in the window seat on the third floor, reading a book when she heard Stefan quietly approaching.

She heard him grunt slightly in frustration, and she closed her eyes to keep from laughing.

_I'm mad at him! I won't laugh…I won't laugh…._

The past few days had been long ones – they still weren't speaking, and it had become obvious to everyone else. However, her stubbornness wasn't about to allow her to apologize first, even though she felt like there was a possibility she could actually be the one at fault. She had jumped him verbally for disagreeing with her, and she knew that was a childish was to win a debate, even if it was hypothetical.

Sighing, he appeared in front of her, sadness filling his striking eyes. She sucked in a quiet breath as her brown eyes focused on his, a rush of nervousness floating over her.

"Yes?"

He gulped audibly, and her heart softened. _He's clearly nervous to talk to me…I should try to be nicer I suppose…._

"I just wanted to apologize…I had no right to speak the way I did. We don't have to agree on everything, and I shouldn't have tried so hard to get you to agree with me. That wasn't right at all."

"Stefan, I-"

He held up a hand to stop her. "Let me finish, please? I won't take long."

She nodded, and he continued.

"I shouldn't have made you feel bad for disagreeing with me, and I'm truly sorry. Everyone is entitled to their opinions ,and I never meant to speak so sharply to you when you didn't deserve it. And…I never meant to pry about your boyfriend."

Renesmee raised her eyebrows, cocking her head to the side.

"Boyfriend?"

Stefan shifted, noticeably interested but embarrassed. He nodded, "Yes, um…Jacob."

She felt a flutter in her stomach that she couldn't identify again at the mention of Jacob's name, and she bit her lip tentatively before speaking again.

"Stefan, Jacob isn't my boyfriend," she replied softly, suddenly very interested in the solitary piece of string hanging from a pillow that adorned the window seat where she sat.

He paused, trying to read her expression, his eyebrows lifted as well. "He isn't?"

She shook her head. "No, he's not…he's more like a brother..or…a friend…or…" she trailed off, shaking her head. Answering that posed a true problem, because she truly didn't know how to define Jacob.

_He wasn't my boyfriend, right? No, a boyfriend wouldn't call a hot kiss and 'accident_', she thought smugly.

Stefan froze, his expressive eyes looking at her questioningly. "Would you like to play a game of chess?" he asked.

She bit her lip and paused, not sure how to reply.

"Maybe a little later," she said, glancing down at her book. He nodded, softly bid her goodbye, and promptly disappeared.

Exhaling the breath she had been holding, she chewed at a nail and looked out the window at the large yard below. Her perch on the third floor and her enhanced vision allowed her to see quite far into the wilderness. Below, she watched as a newly reunited Kate and Garrett darted from the house and into the large yard below.

They held hands tightly as they played and wrestled together. It looked as if they were playing keep away with each other, only neither one wanted to not touch the other, making their game little point. They looked utterly smitten and elated to be reunited; Kate had forgiven him quickly. Sighing, she recalled the last day or two since his return; it was as if Kate had come to life.

Instead of moping about the house all day and night, sitting on her post on the tallest eve of the roof, she spent her time hunting, talking, laughing, and frolicking with Garrett. He was back for good this time it seemed, and everyone in the Denali coven was extremely happy to have him return to them and most importantly – to Kate.

_Kate is not that different from me I suppose. Garrett left her, and they had surely done more than kiss. She was so heartbroken, and look at her now! She seems so happy to have him back. It's also like she's completely forgiven him for everything he's done. I'm not sure I can do that…even though it would be the mature thing to do. Forgiveness is maturity I guess. _

She watched them play down on the lawn, and she felt a familiar pang of pain and then a pull on her chest.

_In Kate's case, it was worth it to her to forgive him. Now it's like he never left at all. Would I be able to forgive Jacob for leaving me that night, if it meant we could be that happy?_

Her stubbornness told her no, but her heart clearly told her yes_. _

"See something interesting?" Rosalie chirped as she walked up to the window seat, her eyes following Kate and Garrett as they disappeared into the woods.

"Think they'll go far? I need to hunt," Renesmee asked, setting her book down.

Rosalie gently put her hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She sat down next to her niece with a small smile.

"What?"

"Ness, they're going to need some…alone time I feel."

Renesmee's eyes widened, and she sucked in a short breath. "Oh, I see," she replied awkwardly.

"Yes…they need to be alone right now," she said demurely. "To…become reacquainted."

"Rose, you do know that I do know about sex," Renesmee huffed. _Okay, well I know bits and pieces. _

She reached her hand up and showed her aunt visions of hearing her and Emmett smacking their iron bodies together, heaving and panting together in unison, the blatant smell of sex permeating the house. Rosalie winced, her mouth opening slightly as she pulled away from her hand.

"Oh, well,…yes."

She reached her hand back to Rosalie's face and showed her the time she was looking for a scarf to borrow and accidently found what appeared to be a risqué looking riding crop.

"Really, Renesmee?" Rose snarled, jerking away. She gave her an annoyed look and tried to recover from her embarrassment. Renesmee giggled, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I see you know more than I thought, I apologize," she choked out. "I only wanted you to understand why they wanted to be alone, no need to get sassy."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Renesmee replied sourly, looking at the woods where they had gone.

"How are things with you and Stefan?"

"Does everyone know we had a fight?"

"Kind of hard not to," Rosalie mumbled.

"Right, okay. Is he gone?"

"He went into town with Carmen, why?" Rosalie asked, her eyes sparkling. "Do you like him?"

"Oh my god, Rosalie, how old are you!"

"Almost ninety eight, why?"

"That's not what I meant. You're asking me if I _'like'_ him like we're in fourth grade!"

"How would you know? You've never been to fourth grade."

"That's beside the point. Why do I feel like everyone is pushing me to be with Stefan?"

Rosalie looked at her, her golden eyes wide and questioning. "Hasn't the thought ever crossed your mind?"

_Shit, _Rosalie thought. _Emmett was definitely right. I need to butt out. _

Renesmee looked at her, speechless for a moment. "Well, yes…I mean no…" Her mind immediately drifted to Jacob. She had never thought of Jacob like that until a few months ago, and to be honest, she had always questioned why. Of course he was the only other person she knew that was close to her own age, besides his friends and they had always acted like they were off limits.

_Did she only like Jacob in that way because he was all she had been exposed to? Or was there something else?_ To make matters even more confusing, she had recently started questioning her friendship with Stefan since Jacob's short visit on her birthday.

"Earth to Nessie…" Rosalie quipped, looking at her to break her trance.

"Oh, sorry," she mumbled. "I guess it has. I…I…kind of have feelings for someone else too though."

It was Rosalie's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh please don't tell me you're still pining away for that mutt…"

"Rose! I thought you and Jacob had made a truce!"

"We did but…Nessie, wouldn't it be nice to not have that wet dog smell on all your clothes? Wouldn't it be easier to be with a vampire? Someone more like you?"

"You mean more like you! I'm half human, Rose. And Jacob doesn't stink…he smells like pine trees and cinnamon…" she trailed off, her brown eyes glazing slightly.

"Ulgh…wet dog is all I gather. I'm just saying – you need to consider all of your options is all."

She stood and smoothed out her emerald green dress, picking some imaginary lint off of it. Renesmee watched her, her eyes falling to the color of the fabric of Rosalie's dress.

_That's the same pretty color as Stefan's eyes when he returns from hunting…._

"Just think about what I said. You should do what is easiest for you; what makes you happy."

With that, Rosalie gave her a parting glance and left her niece alone with her thoughts.

True, Renesmee had already considered both of her options. Not that she had two at all – Jake wasn't even speaking to her lately, and when they did talk all they did was argue. Her thoughts drifted to her still-broken cell phone that she had thrown at the wall the last time she and Jacob had spoken. It had not gone well.

She sighed, closing her book as she let her aunt's advice ring through her head.

_Wouldn't it be easier to be with a vampire?_

She pursed her lips and tried to imagine it having a vampire as a mate. Her potential mate was not a subject she had given much thought to – she hadn't even considered herself old enough to worry about boys for more than a few months.

What would it be like to be with someone like her family members? If her mate was to be a vampire, he would have to be immune to the scent of the blood pumping through her veins. He would definitely have to be a vegetarian; she didn't think she could be with someone who fed on humans, and she had never even done so herself. He would have to be able to deal with her complicated family and protective father as well.

Then she realized something. She was right back where she started; both Jacob _and_ Stefan knew about her situation and could sympathize. No, this certainly did not make her decision any easier.

It was not easy to avoid her feelings about Stefan – her entire family was well aware of it as well. They were constantly going hunting together, talking, laughing, reading, and sharing stories of their comparatively short lives. He was impossible not to like, she had realized. He was intelligent, witty, charming and kind – not exactly personality traits that were hard to resist.

Jacob's absence did not make that any easier. To say she missed him was an understatement. Her lonely heart used to ache when she thought of him, but now with Stefan's distractive help it had turned into a dull, twinge of a pain inside her chest. It wasn't that it hurt any less, it was just that Stefan made it easier to deal with.

Sighing again, she quickly stood and started down the staircase. Getting out of the house would help, and she needed to hunt.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"Still no answer?" Quil asked, looking up from his sandwich.

Jacob closed the phone and handed it back to his friend, silently cursing himself for losing his cell phone.

"I'm just worried she might be trying to call me…"

"Doesn't Edward know my cell phone number? He would be crafty enough to get in touch with you man," Quil said.

"I know…."

"Daddy vamp would get ahold of you if his baby was in danger!" he laughed.

"I always thought so, but lately I'm not so sure, especially after what happened."

"Nah, he would have called Jake, I know Edward enough to know that. So you guys got in a little fight, big deal. That happens."

"It wasn't exactly a little fight Quil. I left her crying in the woods after I kissed her." The two boys entered Sam and Emily Uley's house the next day after their patrol. They were looking for some advice about their mystery scent, and Emily was expecting them for lunch.

"Hi boys," she called, setting a plate of sandwiches down on the wooden table. They each sat down, taking a plate to load up some food.

The two boys had patrolled together all night and had gone to Sam and Emily's house that morning to ask Sam for some advice about their strange scent they had picked up earlier.

"Hey Emily," they both grunted. Jacob immediately felt more at ease when he entered the house – it brought back old memories of when he first joined the pack and was getting used to being a wolf. It was a good time, but a tumultuous time for him. He had missed Sam's friendship when they were both Alphas and couldn't really stand to be around each other for long. Now that Sam had retired, they were able to tolerate each other and become close friends again.

"Hungry?" she asked hopefully.

"Always," Jacob muttered, smiling wryly.

"Where's Sam?" Quil asked her. Emily nodded out back.

"Chopping wood for the wood burner. It's cheaper than using the furnace when it gets so cold," she said. Jacob glanced outside and realized that it probably was getting colder out; the leaves were just starting to turn golden and dry up as it was now late September.

She placed a tray of biscuits and apple butter on the table and the two boys readily dug in.

He turned his attention back to Quil as he chewed thoughtfully.

"Jake, I have to patrol with you later. Do I really have to listen to even more of this? This is getting ridiculous. He would have called."

"But by now? It's been too long. Her phone has been off for four days! That's not like her."

"Did your roommate at school say you had missed any calls?"

"No," Jacob growled, shoving the plate of food away from him. Emily Uley looked at him sternly. She did not appreciate him wasting good food, especially in her house. Feeding a pack of wolves for years and years had always been expensive, and with two growing boys of her own, it wasn't any cheaper for her, even after Sam's retirement from the pack.

"If she wanted to get a hold of you, she would," Quil reassured him.

"I _know Quil!_" Jacob huffed, giving him another sour look. Quil just shook his head and picked up another sandwich.

"Jacob, calm yourself," Sam said quietly, walking through the back door. Even though Sam was no longer his Alpha, he did still value Sam's opinion.

"Quil is right, you know. She knows how to get in touch with all of us," Emily added, walking around to refill their sweet teas.

"I know, but she's making me crazy! That on top of all this bloodsucker shit is driving me nuts," Jacob said. Sam looked at Emily and rolled his eyes, shrugging.

"What happened exactly?" Emily asked, pouring herself more to drink as she sat down beside Sam.

"Well, basically he hasn't told her about the imprint, and they're both so freaking horny they're about to burst, so he kissed her after the bonfire-"

"Quil! Really?" Jacob growled again.

Sam held up a hand. "He's only trying to help, Jake."

Jacob glared at Quil again as he stifled his giggles. "You're like a fourth grade girl, you know that?"

This caused an even bigger fit of laughter from Quil. He swallowed his mouthful of food and coughed from laughing so hard. "Who do you think I hang out with all day?"

Emily tried not to smile as Quil laughed and nearly choked on his food.

"So you guys kissed? What happened?"

"You're as bad as he is," Jacob huffed, gesturing to Quil. His face softened as he looked at Emily. "I made the mistake of kissing her after the bonfire, yes. I shouldn't have done it – Edward and I had a deal that I wouldn't lay a hand on her until after her seventh birthday, which was still like a month away at that point. Even then he made it clear to me that I could only touch her if she well…wanted me to," he added quietly.

"I see," Emily nodded. "So what happened?"

"I just told you!"

Emily gave him a knowing look from across the wooden table. "You know what I mean Jacob Black,"

He took a long drink from his glass and frowned, his tan face furrowing slightly. "I kissed her and…well….it was great. It's all I can think about now."

She inhaled loudly, her eyebrow cocked slightly. "It sounds like things went well."

"That's not the whole story! He told her it was an accident!" Quil said loudly, looking sideways at Jacob. He ducked just in time as Jacob's arm swung to the side to deck him.

"Stay the fuck out of my head!" he growled.

"Jake," Sam warned. "There are children in this house."

"Sorry Sam….Quil, you're a jerk," he muttered. "I kissed her and I knew that I shouldn't have..and I told her that we shouldn't do that."

"Shouldn't do that _yet_, or shouldn't do it period?" Emily asked.

"I didn't really say…Either way she was pretty irate with me. Annnndd…then I left."

"What a prince charming," Emily said under her breath.

"Hey, it was either that or daddy vamp takes my neck off for me!" Jacob shot back. "I didn't have much of a choice! And now, she won't even talk to me!"

The four of them were silent for a few moments, no one knowing what to say.

"This isn't anything that can't be fixed, Jake," Emily said softly.

"How do you figure?" Jacob snapped at her.

"Excuse me, but don't you think I know a thing or two about complicated imprints?" She asked, her voice raising.

Jacob looked down at his un-touched, food, feeling suddenly guilty. No one had to ask what she was talking about. Jacob knew that having her best friend and cousin Leah's boyfriend dump her to start dating Emily hadn't exactly been a walk in the park. Then to make matters worse, he had turned around and scared her physically and emotionally with his hot temper when he unexpectedly phased.

"Yeah, I guess you do," Jacob replied softly, his eyes meeting hers. Emily's black eyes burned with intensity, and Jacob knew that none of the wolves and their imprints _ever _had it easy.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

He nudged her knee with his as he crossed one leg over the other.

She brushed her hand against his arm as she turned the page of her book.

He cleared his throat, she coughed.

He glanced at the clock, his eyes catching hers as he raised his eyes.

He winked quickly, making her snort quietly in suppressed laughter as she folded her hands and bit her lip.

"I haven't seen either of you turn a page in half an hour," Emmett mumbled. Renesmee and Stefan glanced sideways at each other, a small giggle erupting from her lips as she pressed a hand to the side of her face to shield it from her uncle.

Emmett's nostrils flared and a satisfied smirk crossed his face from where he sat across the room, playing on his Game Boy. His thumbs moved faster than lighting as he tapped the buttons, the determined glare returning to his features.

Stefan lowered his defined jaw to look at his book, and Renesmee tried to return her attention to hers.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Later that afternoon, he and Quil headed back to Billy's house to catch a nap before they returned to patrol later.

_As if I could sleep…_Jacob thought wryly as Quil's beat up truck halted in the gravel driveway.

"You gonna be okay?" Quil asked, slamming the door shut. Jacob kicked at the dirt beneath his feet as the thought. He knew Quil wasn't trying to pry; he was only concerned. He had missed his goofy, good-hearted and gossipy best friend while he had been away at school.

"Yeah, as soon as I talk to Ness," he grumbled, swinging the front door open.

"She'll come around. Billy out fishing?"

Jacob nodded, flopping down on the couch. Quil took his place on the armchair beside him, and the two boys sat in silence for a moment.

"Quil, are you going to go to college?" Jacob asked after a few minute. Quil looked up at him, surprised at his question.

He nodded. "Yeah, I figure I'll go when Claire goes."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

Jacob thought a moment. "You and Claire make it sound so easy. It's like you have everything figured out already; I have to say I'm a bit envious is all."

Quil snorted, flipping the chair back into a reclining position. "I _think _I have it all figured out. That's all I have time for – thinking. While you're off at college and the rest of the pack is off banging their imprints, my best friend goes to bed at nine o clock. What else do I have to do?"

Jacob nodded, tucking a worn pillow behind his head. "I guess you're right, I never really thought about it that way."

"Yeah, no one really does. They assume I'm happy….and I am. But it's hard to sit back and appreciate her younger years when all I can really think about is how great it's going to be when she's old enough. Not that I have thoughts about her like _that_, because I don't. She's still a little sister to me, but I have faith that that will eventually change. But it's nice to have something to hold on to. I don't know that things will turn out – but I have to have hope."

Jacob was silent as he thought about Quil's words. True, Quil didn't have any more knowledge that his situation with Claire would turn out any differently – but he did have hope.

"What's wrong?" Quil asked, watching him think.

"I'm afraid I broke her heart," Jacob mumbled, staring at the dark tv. Quil looked at him, perplexed

"Seriously?"

Jacob nodded, closing his eyes. Her face appeared on the backs of his eyelids, haunting him, testing him. His eyes flashed open and he looked over at Quil.

"I kissed her Quil – I really kissed her. And it was…amazing. Earth moving. If that's what a kiss was like…" he trailed off. The two boys grinned at each other, knowing that he didn't have to finish his sentence to get the idea across.

"I know, man, I know."

"But then…I just left her. I had to get out of there before I did anything else. And believe me, I wanted to. Bad. Really bad. So bad that it scared me."

"Really?" Quil asked. Jacob didn't have to be a mind reader to know that his best friend was trying to picture what that type of connection would be like in his own case.

"Yeah…it was…life-changing. It was like the day she was born and I imprinted on her. Everything around us stopped. And then, all I could see was Edward and Bella's faces. I know they were going to be pissed at me, and I couldn't do that. I couldn't go against their trust. They had complete faith in me that I would wait til she was an adult and not just a kid before I put the moves on her."

Quil nodded, his dark eyes dropping to the carpet below as he listened.

"I just don't know what to do now, or how to fix it. How do you fix something that big? I just took off and left her. I broke her heart, Quil."

He thought a moment, then looked up at Jacob. "Even if you did, then wouldn't you think that you would be the only person who could fix it?"

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"Don't be gone too long," Edward called after her as Renesmee darted towards the back door of the house.

"I won't dad," she replied, slipping out the door.

She and her father were going into town later to pick up her new cell phone that had arrived. She had gotten a few stern looks for destroying it, but she maintained that it was an accident. _Vampires broke things sometimes, right?_

Before too long, she picked her pace up to vampire speed as she dashed through the woods. She knew that her father wouldn't want her to go far, so she made a point to stay close.

As she ran through the frosty wilderness, her thoughts drifted to Jacob, as they usually did. She felt horrible for hanging up on him, but he was being such an ass! Not that that was anything different from his normal demeanor. She loved her Jacob, but he wasn't known for keeping his opinions to himself or being particularly choosy with his words to spare her feelings. However, that was what she had always admired about her relationship with him; he was always himself around her. No walls, no boundaries, no subject too honest. Until recently, that was.

She paused, sniffing the air as her brown eyes fluttered shut. A chilly, winter breeze blew though the branches of the group of pines that she stood next to.

_Mmmm….that smell reminds me of Jacob…_ she thought. She frowned at herself, her eyes still closed. He had been intruding her thoughts lately more and more, ever since his phone call.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as a somewhat familiar aroma floated by her nostrils as they tested the air around her. She caught herself shudder slightly as it teased and tortured her all at the same time. She would have known that scent anywhere.

Calculating quickly, she decided that she had to be downwind of them to smell it, but she knew there was no mistaking the sweet, yet slightly musky scent as it invaded her senses.

She made a great effort to be quiet as she approached; the sound suddenly joined the scent, confirming her curiosity. Peeking around a large boulder, she glanced around for a few moments before something at the bottom of the ravine caught her eye. Covering her mouth, she silently gasped as her chocolate eyes widened in surprise.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Any guesses to what she sees? Hmm? I don't think you will guess, but if anyone wants to give it a shot they are more than welcome.

Alrighty kids…if _I get some reviews on these two chapters, I will post another one tomorrow. _ I know I said I wouldn't ever NOT update because I'm not getting reviews or anything, - and this is not that. I will post the next chapter (of course) but if I get some reviews I will definitely post it a lot sooner than I normally would. So that's THREE chapters in one weekend, potentially.

**That said, please Review!**


	24. but youre untouchable burning

_He kissed my lips  
I taste your mouth  
He pulled me in  
I was disgusted with myself  
Cause when I'm with him  
I am thinking of you_

_Oh won't you walk through  
And bust in the door  
And take me away_

_No more mistakes_

_Thinking Of You – Katy Perry_

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Author's note: Shout out time!

Shoutout to : **love4allpplz, ****kmddeprez1122****, Jess 194, ImprintMeJake, hotmessz, ****xMaaandii****, and ****doodlechick12****. **You ladies rock for your continued support and reviews, and it doesn't go unnoticed. You all reviewed and are all faithful read and reviewers, so I decided to post this chapter just for you today. Love you all! I always look forward to each and every one of your reviews.

That being said, you all took guesses. No one hit it, but I didn't think you would because it's something out of left field that I knew no one was expecting. A lot of you guessed a wolf/Jacob, which isn't half bad guess. The _pine tree_ smell reminded her of Jacob – there was another scent in the air that she picked up on and you will all see the _pervy-ness_ involved. Literally. Get it? Pervy Ness? No? Oh okay, I tried : )

With that said, **there is a graphic scene coming up in this chapter.** You have been warned. Just skip to the next section if it bothers you – this is why it is important to VOTE on the rating of the story on my profile. I don't want to scare away any readers, but I want to do what the majority would like to see. So go **VOTE!**

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Renesmee's eyes grew wide as she realized what she was witnessing. She had been drawn out into the forest and off her original path by some strange noises and a somewhat familiar, pungent scent. Now, as she peeked out from behind a boulder, it became painfully clear what those clues added up to.

Garrett and Kate were out together, but they certainly were _not_ going for a hunt. Looking down the ravine but careful to stay concealed, Rensemee was shocked at what she saw.

Kate stood pinned against another large boulder that was slanting back against one wall of the ravine, her body bare of all clothing. Garrett stood in front of her, one of her legs hooked on his arm as he plunged into her, their bodies making a dull cracking sound as they came together.

_Oh my god, they are totally out here in the woods having sex!_ She thought to herself, covering her open mouth with her hand. Ducking back behind the boulder, she double checked to be sure that she was indeed out of sight and downwind from the vampires she was spying on.

_Okay, that's kinda hot…_she thought, picturing a similar scenario, only with her and Jacob. After she thought a moment, she felt her heartbeat speed even faster when she pictured Stefan in Garrett's position, driving into her against a boulder in the middle of the woods. She felt her cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment of even having the thought.

In her mind, Stefan was far too polite and dignified to do something like that, whereas Jake could no doubt summon his animalistic side. Her mind rapidly switched between the two of them…it was like fire and ice in her mind as she pictured the different choice.

_Jacob…Stefan…_

Tentatively biting her lip, she peeked back around the boulder to continue her spying. She felt wrong; she knew this was wrong to watch them, however, Alice's vague sex talk hadn't fully satisfied her curiosity.

As their bodies repeatedly crashed together, Kate cried out in what appeared to be sheer enjoyment. Her hands grasped at Garrett's shaggy, sandy blonde hair, weaving their way up all the way to his roots. She tugged at it and groaned as he continued to move within her. Rensemee felt rather guilty watching two people she knew so well; she even felt wrong about it. However, her blatant curiosity about the actual act was still getting the better of her.

She had lived in a house full of married couples her entire life- at one point, she had unfortunately heard each pair get caught up in a moment of lust for one another. Thankfully though, her sharp hearing and senses had prevented her from accidently running into anyone in the act. She had always kind of wondered what all went on during the act, and books certainly did not do it justice.

_And I probably avoided knowing too much while my dad was able to hear my every thought…_ she admitted to herself. _But he can't hear me now. I guess I should thank mom…_Biting back a smile, she refocused her attention to the display several hundred yards in front of her.

The cold, mid-November breeze blew through the forest, rustling the pines as it blew through. However, neither Kate nor Garrett seemed to notice. Kate let out a pleasured wail as Garrett bent his head to lick and nip at her neck as he thrust. Renesmee had to bite her own tongue rather hard to keep from giggling as the boulder they were leaning against crumbled to the ground, leaving them in a pile of rubble.

Neither vampire seemed to notice as they rolled together, Garrett finally pinning Kate's body to the ravine floor and thrusting into her again. He bent down and groped one of her breasts, rolling her nipple between his two fingers. Kate mewled in response, arching her back in delight.

_Hmm…she looks like she's having fun,_ Renesmee thought to herself with a devilish smile. _It just looks so…rough, _she thought with a smirk.

No, books certainly did not do this justice.

Her mind raced once again as she tried to replace Kate with herself and Garrett with Stefan. Her face instantly flushed red as her mind then replaced him with Jacob once again.

_This is so weird and gross of me to do this. This is wrong..wrong wrong wrong so wrong..but…no one ever told me about this before!_

She still felt like a complete pervert standing out in the woods spying, but she could barely pull her eyes away from the foreign looking act in front of her. Her body twitched as she thought about the possibilities. The familiar, frustrated feeling returned between her legs, and she took this as her cue to leave them alone.

As she carefully left, she felt ashamed for watching Kate and Garrett, but her curiosity had overcome any feelings she had about regret. Kate and Garrett were different; they weren't 'related' to her, and she didn't live with them. And, stumbling across them in the act had been an accident. She tried to calm her thrumming heart and blushing cheeks as she ran the rest of the way home, thinking about what she had just witnessed.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

_**-Two Weeks Later-**_

Quil looked over at his best friend as they ran, frowning to himself. Jacob had been on edge all day, worrying about Renesmee. He was trying to tune him out and not pay attention to his incessant worrying and whining about the pain in his chest and head from being separated from her, but it was as if he was screaming it at him.

_Nose to the ground, Quil,_ Jake thought. Quil rolled his eyes, but lowered his sensitive nose to the ground just the same.

_Jake, come on. The scent was laid 12 days ago, and it's been absolutely cold and dead for 11 days. We're all exhausted running after this silly thing. Why are you torturing yourself?_

_I'm worried, moron. Can't you tell?_

_Of course I can. I just wish you weren't this worked up about it. Edward would call you if something was wrong. _

Jacob knew that Quil was right. He winced when he thought about how much school he had missed; he had been gone now for two and a half weeks now to La Push, chasing around the silly dead scent when he knew that it was useless.

Suddenly, everything felt useless.

He had thought that being back in La Push would make him feel better, but that was hardly the case. Instead, his heart ached and twisted in his chest, making him feel the pull to Renesmee. It was now October, and it had been several weeks since he had seen her sleeping on her birthday. The past few weeks had been torture knowing that she was up in Denali hanging around with the new vampire in the family, but he had bigger things to worry about.

The scent that he had picked up had stung in his nose more than usual, making him feel more uneasy than anything else. His gut told him that something was wrong, and he refused to let it go.

He had to find out who, or what, rather – it was.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

She licked her lips as she tossed and turned in her bed. Her dreams never disappointed, especially these days. It has been almost two weeks ago that she had witnessed Kate and Garrett in the woods, and what she had seen had inspired some rather racy dreams lately.

_He ran his hot hands down the sides of her body as he looked down at her. She was sprawled in the middle of the bed on her back, and he was kneeling over her, just reveling in the feeling of her smooth skin beneath his hands._

Her hands grasped at the front of his soft, thin t-shirt, her fingernails scraping down his chest through the material, leaving light scratches down his abdominal muscles. The scent of his exotic blood pumping through his veins filled the room, and she purred deep in her chest as he lowered himself down towards her. She yanked and ripped the rest of his shirt off, exposing his brawny, tan chest to her. He lowered himself down further, his weight resting comfortably on her hard body. 

_His lips nipped and sucked at her smooth neck, leaving a trail of lust after them. She wove her hands in his shaggy hair, biting her lip as his mouth made her want more. He rubbed himself against every inch of her, but she could only really feel one area – the area that wanted her the most._

_Soft moans and growls escaped both their lips he continued to move his body against hers in the most pleasurable way, and it was clear how much he needed her. _

"_Ness…I want you so much right now…more than I ever have," he gasped, moving up to capture her lips in his warm mouth. He kissed her again and again, his sweet tongue parting her lips to move with his. _

"_Jake…" she breathed between kisses. "Make love to me."_

_He pulled away and looked at her with an intense fire in his eyes that she had never seen before. A faint smile crossed his lips, and she moved her body against the bulge in his khaki shorts to show him how much she needed him to comply with her. _

"_Jake..,Please…" she moaned, rising up to kiss him. Placing her hands on his cheeks, she showed him with her special gift her blatant and urgent need to feel him the way she never had before. _

"_Of course I will, Ness. I would never deny my imprint something…never," he whispered in her ear before softly biting the sensitive skin on her earlobe. "That's the beauty of the whole thing. I can't say no to my imprint, and I wouldn't ever want to."_

She awoke suddenly with a start. Her hands had balled the sheets around her into tight, wrinkled fits, and she panted loudly as she tried to catch her breath.

Looking around her moonlight filled room, she slowly calmed her breathing – it had been a dream.

_Wait…in my dream, Jake said that I was his imprint…I've heard the guys talk about that before. Isn't that just a name for their girlfriends? Wait…I'm so confused. Why would Jake not just call me his girlfriend, his woman, his love…why did he use imprint in my dream?_

Her mind raced wildly, making it harder and harder for her to calm herself. Tears formed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. It had all been so wonderful, and now to discover that it was only a dream! She was beside herself. Her body ached for Jacob, and he was miles away without a care in the world.

She knew from the faint whispers at bonfires and during hunts that imprinting was something wolves did, and it was more common than not.

_Does that mean they pick their girlfriends? Why hasn't Jacob chosen me? What if he can't choose me? He would have already done it by now, wouldn't he? This all feels so hopeless…_

Throwing open her bedroom door, she followed her nose and flew down the stairs and into the small den beside the kitchen where her parents were sitting together, watching the moon. They both looked up in shock when she darted in the room unannounced, diving onto the small couch where they sat. She burrowed herself between their comforting, stony bodies, grasping them both as if her life depended on it.

"Renesmee, what's wrong?" Bella asked, sitting up. She grasped her daughter to her chest, stroking her hair. Edward sat up stiffly, trying harder than ever to penetrate his wife's powerful shield that she still held diligently above their daughter. Tears poured out of Renesmee's eyes as she wept into her mother's neck.

"Renesmee, we can't help unless you tell us what you're upset about," Edward said softly, rubbing her back. She sniffed, resting her hot cheeks against Bella's cool neck.

Stefan, hearing her cries, appeared in the doorway silently. She didn't' notice.

"Jacob," she sobbed, nervously winding her fingers into her mother's soft hair. "H-he…he didn't p-pick me," she said.

Her hands were pressed to Bella's collarbone as she sobbed, inadvertently showing her mother what Jacob had muttered to her in her dream about not refusing his imprint.

Bella's eyes widened as her daughter continued to cry, and Edward just stared at her. They both chose to ignore a very hurt looking Stefan in the doorway – they had bigger problems. Bella carefully lowered her own shield, letting her husband see what their daughter was crying about. Edward's dead heart broke for his daughter.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

After putting a very distraught Renesmee back to bed, Edward closed her bedroom door as he grasped Bella tightly around the waist. Making their way back downstairs, they were faced with Stefan, who was clearly upset to see Renesmee so upset.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his tone soft but concerned. "Is everything okay?"

Bella nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Stefan…she just needs some time. She's having a hard time with things and I just think that she needs a friend right now. I know…I know you guys have been a little more than that lately, but do you understand what I mean?" Bella asked softly. Stefan's eyes darted between her and Edward, and it all became a lot clearer to him.

"This…Jacob," he said softly. "He is more than a best friend, isn't he?"

Edward looked at him, his face pained, and nodded. His eyes met his wife's, and they both looked back up at Stefan.

"She always tried to play if off as nothing when I asked her, but…there's more to this, I can see that now," he said. Edward nodded again, and motioned for Stefan to sit down.

"We have something we need to explain to you," he said.

Edward gently explained to the young, very confused vampire about were wolves and Jacob's pack, and about the power of the mystical magic of imprinting that had chosen their daughter for Jacob. Bella twisted her hands in her lap as her husband spoke, her sad, golden eyes confirming to Stefan what sounded like a sick joke.

"So, you knew about this the whole time? The whole time I was falling in love with her your whole family knew that this…this wolf would just come in one day and eventually rip her away from me?" He asked his voice raising. Edward's faced twisted up in a painful grimace as Stefan's thoughts took a much more painful turn than what his voice was communicating.

"Stefan…we didn't' know until they were separated for this long how miserable they will clearly be without each other. We had no way to know," Bella insisted. "We didn't mean to drag you into this…it was wrong of us to let this happen, but we just didn't know. Alice can't see her or Jacob as well as she can see the rest of us, and we had no idea how badly this would turn out."

Stefan just stared at both of them, his sadness and anger boiling up inside his steely chest. He fought for the breath the he didn't need, and his fists were balled up into fists as he fought with the feelings inside of him.

"I just want her to be happy," he finally said through clenched teeth. "But I don't have to like what has to happen in order for her to _be_ happy," he spat.

He stood, flashing out of the room at top speed, the door to the house slamming so hard that the wall next to it shook.

Edward pressed his lips together in a thin line, looking at the ground. He stood, pacing, unsure what to do after what had just happened.

Alice and Jasper silently ghosted into the room, both of their faces somber. Slowly, the rest of the vampires in the house made their way to the large Great Room where Edward and Bella sat. They had all heard what had happened from their different places in the house, and they were all concerned.

"He will be okay…in time," Eleazar said softly, patting Edward on the shoulder.

"Yes, you had no way of knowing that they would be so unhappy without each other," Carmen echoed, appearing at his side.

Bella let her emotions get the best of her, and began to silently cry for the dejected young vampire. "I know, but that doesn't make what we just told him any easier," she softly wailed, turning to Edward. He embraced her, and the rest of the family watched uneasily as she cried into her husband's chest.

Internally, Edward was fighting a battle that he hadn't stopped fighting for over seven years.

Ever since Jacob had imprinted on his daughter and he had seen the bond between them, he had been distraught with the idea. His mortal enemy had formed a magical connection with his daughter that was unbreakable by any distance. The pull that Jacob felt to her, and her to him, was undeniable to ignore - even to him. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Jacob was what his daughter needed. He felt horrible for letting her get close to Stefan when this had always been a possibility, but realized with much pain that it had been unavoidable.

What he had witnessed tonight had shown him that it was time to stop playing games, get over his fear of his daughter becoming a woman, and let her be with her soul mate. The love and special magic that connected them seemed to encase them both in a beautiful, golden orb when they were together, unaware of anything else around them.

Looking down at his wife as she wept against his chest, he realized with chagrin that not all love was easy. Not all love made sense – he knew that more than anyone as pictures of a human Bella flashed to the front of his mind. They too had seemed an impossible pair at the start, and now they couldn't be happier – they were meant to be together, just like Jacob and Renesmee.

They all stood, frozen like statues in the large room for several minutes, no one sure what to say next. The only sound was the thrumming of Renesmee's heart from upstairs, signaling that she had fallen back asleep.

Suddenly, Alice stiffened, her eyes growing blank with the slightly blurry vision.

_Seattle. _

_He had returned to the city just days before. His field trip to visit the territory where he knew the Cullens would be had been interesting to say the least. He had figured out all he needed to know by eavesdropping from a distance. Now he was back in the city to formulate his plan and move on it. Whatever it was the Aro wanted, it was no longer in Forks. _

_A darkened street, on the edge of town. The limp body in his hands fell to the cold pavement with a 'thump' and he wiped the remains of meal from his chin and hands. _

"_Thanks for the ride, sport," he sneered, quickly yanking the keys out of the dead hands of the man that lay at his feet. _

"_I'll take that as a 'you're welcome'," he laughed, stepping quickly over the carcass. Settling into the silver sports car, he slammed the door shut and adjusted his hair in the mirror. Sticking the keys into the ignition, the exotic little silver car roared to life with a loud growl. He reached over to switch on the stereo. A loud rock song with a thumping bass line blasted into the car, and he chuckled to himself as he pulled out of the empty parking lot. _

_He was driving north. _

Before Alice could even fall slack from the vision, Edward had seen enough and his hands rapidly dialed the familiar number on this phone.

It was answered in one ring. "Edward?"

"Jacob. Yes it's me. I think you should come to Denali. And now."

"Wait here until I call. Edward didn't want to talk about it over the phone, but I think it's serious. Someone stay on patrol at all times, and wait for my word," Jacob said quickly, tying a change of clothes and his phone to his ankle. Quil, Seth, and Embry watched with confusion from their places around Billy's table as Jacob had answered Edward's call and flown into action.

"Can't we just come now?" Quil whined. Jacob frowned, shaking his head. "No, stay here and patrol just in case. Seth, let the rest of pack that something might be up. Collin is out there right now, right?"

Seth nodded, looking at his brothers nervously. None of them liked the feeling that was rising in their guts.

"Sure thing, Jake," he said, nodding curtly at his Alpha.

"This could be it. I knew something was right…I just knew it," he muttered. Jake stroke outside, stripping out of his sweatpants to phase quickly. Once he was running, he finally let his mind do what it feared the most.

Panic.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Renesmee woke up the next morning feeling slightly better than she did when she had fallen back to sleep after her dream. The dull ache in her chest was lessening, but that was the only thing that felt better. Her head ached and her eyes were swollen from crying so much the night before. Her dream had been awful, and she had truthfully been afraid to go back to sleep for fear she would have another wonderful dream that would only taunt her about Jacob and this 'imprinting' thing.

She still couldn't decipher why that word had come to the front of her mind and fallen from Jacob's perfect mouth in her dream. _Why that word? Why now?_ She didn't know, and at the rate everything else was going, she didn't care.

She laid in bed, trying to ignore her stomach rumbling in protest at her. She needed to eat. Getting up, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, combing down her wild locks with her fingers. Throwing on a fresh long sleeved shirt, she threw on a pair of jeans and made her way downstairs, feeling better with every step.

Her heart felt like it was glowing, and a familiar heat rose in her stomach as she reached the last step, her eyes rising up to see that her entire family, along with the Denali coven and Stefan, were standing in the Great room, looking at her expectantly.

Suddenly, an all too familiar scent hit her nose. Whipping her head to the side, her eyes fell on Jacob, who stood in the foyer with her father and mother. Bella's hand was wrapped with Jacob's, and Renesmee felt a pang of jealousy. Everyone in the room was like a statue as they watched and waited to see what would happen.

_Why is my mother holding his hand? That's just weird…I don't like that, _she thought as a surge of jealousy wove its way into her mind.

"Jake," she breathed, her voice just above a whisper.

He stared at her from where he stood, and his body seemed to relax from its tense stance as his name fell from her lips.

"Ness," he said softly, biting his lip. His gaze softened as she looked at him, quickly forgetting his Alpha-like façade.

She could no longer resist the pull, and neither could he. They flew towards each other in a flash, the steely invisible cables that connected them pulling them together like magnets. Her small, hard body crashed into his, and they both gasped in relief and shock at the feeling of touching each other again. Her body molded to his, and he grasped at her like she was the very air that kept his body alive.

When they finally released each other, she stepped back at him and took in his features like she had never laid eyes on him before. Then, faster than lightning, her hand reached out and struck him across the face quickly.

The sound echoed in the large cabin, and the vampires around her sucked in audible breaths of surprise. The blow barely made him turn his face; she hadn't struck him terribly hard. It was done more out of anger and embarrassment than to hurt him.

"Renesmee!" Bella gasped, darting to her daughter to pull her hand down, which was clenched at her side. Renesmee stood, frozen in front of him, her chocolate eyes boring into his black ones as they stared at each other.

She sucked in a breath, surprised at her own actions. Everyone around her waited to see what she would do. Instead of saying anything to her shocked family, she turned and was gone from the room in a flash.

Jacob moved like he wanted to chase after her, but Edward held out his arm to stop him. "Jake," Bella breathed, reaching out to touch his face..

He shook them both off, shaking his head. "No…it's okay. I deserved it," he said. Every vampire in the room let out their shaky, nervous breaths, and the tension in the room eased once they knew he wouldn't lose his temper and phase in the middle of the living room.

"Jacob, I need to fill you in. Alice, will you come with us?" Edward asked, motioning towards the library. Edward, Alice, and Bella all turned to walk down the hall, and Jacob nodded and the rest of the Cullens and Denalis that were in the room. His black eyes met Stefan's, and he paused for a moment to look at him.

Biting back a growl, he turned and followed them to the library so that they could fill him in on why he was there.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

While her parents were down in the library explaining and trying to decipher Alice's vision, Renesmee fumed up in her room.

_How dare he show up here unannounced again! He knows me..he knows how mad I am…I missed him but he deserved that,_ she thought, looking down at the hand that had struck him. In the split millisecond her hand had made contact with his cheek, she had sent him waves of her shame, anger, and embarrassment with her gift.

_He deserved it_, she thought.

Flopping down on her bed, she stared at the wall and tried to decide what to do next. The idea of Stefan and Jacob being in the same vicinity as her made her more nervous than she cared to admit. Suddenly, her taboo fantasies of the two of them fighting over her were very much a possibility, only now it was not a pleasing one.

_It terrified her. _

There was a soft knock on her door, and it made her heart jump and flutter wildly in surprise.

"Can I come in?" Stefan's soft voice asked. She panicked for a moment, unsure of what to do. _Should she let him in? What would she say to him? He would want to talk about Jacob, and he knew that she wasn't ready to do that yet. _

"No…" she said. "No!"

She could hear him suck in a breath and pause on the other side of the door, then he darted away.

She lay back on her bed and waited for sleep to come. Already she wanted to forget that this day had happened. Silent tears feel down her cheeks as she listened to the noise downstairs in the library that was her reason for living; _Jacob's strong, steady, broken heart. _

She slept most of the day. It was a fitful, dreamless sleep. When she awoke several hours later, she knew she would have to go downstairs eventually. She felt like a baby hiding up in her room like this, but what else could she do?

_I'm not a full grown woman and I'm hiding up in my room like a little brat. I would like some food though…_

When hunger finally made her cave and go downstairs, she wasn't surprised to see Jacob sitting in the kitchen parked at the counter, scarfing down more of Carmen's waffles for dinner. Carmen, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Bella were all sitting in the kitchen with him while he ate

All eyes were on her as she ignored all of them, walking straight to the refrigerator, pulling it open with a quiet grunt.

"Renesmee?" her mother asked, floating up to her side. "Are you alright now?" she asked.

"Yeah," Renesmee said flatly, pulling open the drawers to look at the food selection. Jacob watched her as he chewed, unsure of what to say.

Renesmee made the decision for him an easy one. Once she selected a piece of fruit, she lifted her nose into the air and silently walked out of the room without as much as a glance at Jacob.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

Okay, hope you guys liked it!

Just to clarify on a few things…

First, I realize it was slightly pervy of her to spy on Kate and Garrett. I know this. However, I needed her to see something to spark her sexy dream about Jacob so that she wasn't just having random sex dreams. Besides…she was curious about sex, and Alice was rather vague to her when they spoke. She sees Kate and Garrett as two people she's not 'related' to, so she thought it was less gross.

**Now to clarify about what Nessie knows about imprinting.** I mentioned that she has heard the word before; however, when she was old enough to ask questions Jake put a gag order on the pack to not talk about it in front of her. BUT – as we learned in New Moon, there are ways around a gag order, and over the years I would imagine the boys would slip, and she would figure some of it out on her own, or at least in this case, subconsciously. She's wising up, and isn't so naïve anymore; Nessie is starting to figure things out. I told you all she would wise up sooner or that helps!

I'd love a review!


	25. burnin brighter than the sun

I should've been chasing you  
I should've been trying to prove  
That you were all that mattered to me

I should've said all the things  
That I kept inside of me  
Maybe I could've made you believe  
That what we had was all we'd ever need

All We'd Ever Need – Lady Antebellum

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Okay guys, due the overwhelming response I've gotten on this story….I had to update again =)

Why? Because I am clearly awesome, as are my readers and my reviewers. Oh and FYI, I do get a lot of (good) but anonymous reviews. I can't respond to you guys : ( - that is fine, but just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.

**This chapter is in JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW.**

Enjoy the ranting, the cursing, the wolfy possessiveness that are imprint thoughts, the threats of naked fire dances, sassy thoughts directed at daddy vamp, and the death threats to Stefan. Oh, and Jacob's POV of the **bitch slap** heard round Alaska. (The bitch slap that you all agreed was quite necessary, in fact, much to my delight.)

Renesmee is a woman that has been scorned.

Read!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-

**((JACOB'S POV))**

From the moment Edward called me, I knew it was going to be game on.

I don't think he could read minds through the phone, but I'm sure that my eager voice and determined growl that I greeted him with when he called portrayed every emotion and thought in my head. This was the call I had been waiting for. I now had every excuse to leap into action and do what I should have done all along.

I knew two things, and two things only. There was trouble in Alaska, and I was almost sure that it had something to with the mystery scent we had been tracking. Two, I was going to claim my imprint.

God, just saying that phrase in my head made my heart speed up and swell for her. _Imprint. Imprint. Imprint._ My feet seemed to echo that phrase with every fall of my paw on the cold ground. Now that I had acknowledged the fact that she was my imprint and she was full grown and ready to know everything, I could barely contain myself. I must have chanted that word to myself for hours while I ran the cold Canadian wind whipping around my furry face and snout. Not that it bothered me; nothing could every possibly bother me today as I ran north.

_What hadn't I done this sooner_? That question rang in my ears. I'll say it – I'm a coward. I'm a were wolf leader and Alpha, the toughest fighting machine there is – and yet I'm still too much of a wuss to face a girl that's angry with me.

Nothing was going to stop me now. She was a woman; a full grown, fully mature woman now, and that was our deal. It was time.

I was done being stupid; I was done being an ass. I was going to take my own Alpha advice and be the man that she needed me to be. If she never wanted me like that then…then I would have to deal. I couldn't live without her – I had already tried for far too long and I made a vow that I would never do it again. Renesmee needed me – I could feel the pull of her heart to mine. Only now it wasn't completely innocent love that drew me. It was need.

As I ran in the direction of her pull, I tried to picture in my mind what I would say to her when I saw her. _What would she do? Would she run into my arms and forgive me? Would be pick up where we left off in the woods? Or would all of that be forgotten? _Surely Edward wouldn't have called me if he didn't need me there to help her.

However…things changed a bit when I figured out that that was not the only reason for his call. I could tell by the slighted waiver in his tone that something was wrong; not that it mattered either way – I was going.

I had hastily grabbed a change of clothes from the floor of my room, gave orders to my pack, and made my way north. The run to Alaska wasn't as bad this time; I didn't even have time to really think about how far and fast my legs were carrying me. I was too busy finally letting my mind run wild with ideas and possibilities; I was scared. I was scared for Renesmee, I was scared for myself; there were very few reasons that I could think of that would make Edward call me.

I paid no attention to the scents around me; or even in the direction I was running. Nothing mattered now except the pull of my imprint. I was bound to her.

I closed my eyes briefly for periods of time to take Quil's advice about following the pull to her that she had over me. I could almost feel her waiting for me.

As I made my way north into Alaska, I slowly began to realize that the ached in my chest and the pounding in my head was lessening; it was like it had been dulled significantly since I had left La Push. It was because I was getting closer and closer to _her._

By the time I reached the edge of the Denali coven's property, it felt like I was running on air I felt so good. I was barely winded, and my previously protesting body now felt practically back to normal as I paused at the edge of the driveway to duck behind some bushes, phase, and pull on my shorts and t-shirt. Even on the brink of a dilemma, my hands shook with excitement at the idea of seeing my imprint again.

_I was going to see her, tell her, hold her, kiss her…._

Edward was waiting for me on the porch, and his stern glare promptly reminded me that I was no longer alone with my thoughts. I tried to clean them up the best I could, and strode up to the porch.

_Alright, what's this all about? _I thought pointedly in my head at Edward. Edward briefly gasped my hand in a curt shake before speaking. I looked down at our interlocked hands, trying my best not to act surprised at the action.

"Alice has been seeing visions of a vampire that she believes is coming to Denali. We don't know why. I have a theory of who it is, but we'll need to talk to Stefan to figure it out.

_The new vamp? _

Edward nodded. "Yes, Stefan is his name. I think it might be his brother. But that's not what worries me. Alice has seen him speaking to the Volturi, and we don't know why."

My hair instantly stood on end at the mention of the group of vampires I despised.

_Those foreign fucking leeches! If they ever touch a hair on Renesmee's head I swear I'll rip them all limb from limb and dance around the fire I use to burn them to ash with naked…._

Edward looked at me sternly as he opened the front door to the massive cabin, leading me inside.

_Come on Edward, you know that's one naked dance you'd be tempted in include yourself in,_ I thought at him.

"This is the one time where I share your views and I won't ask you to control yourself," he said under his breath to me. "Everyone is waiting."

We walked into the foyer, and I was met with a stony, iron body being slammed into mine, grasping me tightly.

"Jacob," Bella breathed excitedly, grasping me to her. I let a laugh slip and hugged my best vampire friend back, glad to finally see her again.

She released me and beamed her even more dazzling vampire smile, her golden eyes glistening as if tears were going to fall, which I knew would never happen. She held my hand tightly as the rest of Renesmee's family gathered to greet me, their stony faces drawn and worried.

_I hope they don't think I have all the answers…because I don't,_ I thought to Edward. He looked at me strangely, then his eyes drifted ahead into a huge room that raised into an 'A' shape several stories high in the looming, log cabin mansion. If I wouldn't have been so distracted with the subject at hand, I would have been ecstatic to be in a place as beautiful and rustic looking as this. The large room stretched all the way to the back of the house, boasting an impressive looking two story stony fireplace and an array of leather couches. On one side of the room was a staircase, which is where Edward's eyes had moved to.

And then I saw her.

She floated down the steps and into the main room the connected to the welcoming foyer, and then froze when she saw that all eyes were now on her. Looking around at the faces of her family, she was slow to realize I was there, standing in front of her.

Her eyes fell to my hand that was still intertwined with her mother's. Something changed in her expression until I let out the nervous breath I had been holding.

"Jake," she said tenderly, her soft brown eyes locking back into mine. My stupid name falling from her perfect mouth might as well have been angels singing, greeting me into heaven. I barely even registered Edward rolling his eyes from where he stood, or Rosalie's feet shifting nervously from one to the other as she watched. No, nothing else mattered now.

Except for her.

"Ness," I answered her back, almost as breathless as she had spoken my name. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do, and briefly aware that I had let my tough exterior crack in front of a room full of vampires. I know they were going to hopefully be _my _family as well someday, but still…

She flew at me. As soon as her stony, warm body hit mine, all the aches and pains from all the lonely weeks without her melted away. I grasped her close to me, inhaling her intoxicating scent, relieved to know that it no longer reeked of vampire or anything else foreign. No, she still smelled of sunshine, water lilies, and wild berries. There was an added scent of pine and snow attached to her, but that smell seemed to cling to everything up here.

I set her down, painstakingly loosening my iron grip on my imprint. I felt like my heart was going to explode, I was so happy.

Then, her balled up little fist came crashing into my jaw. Along with it came a tirade of pictures and emotions, so intense and concentrated that I could barely believe she had delivered them to me in the brief millisecond her hand had connected with my face. I nearly doubled over as she showed me pictures of herself crying, inconsolable by any of her family members or friends. Along with that came feelings of anger, insecurity, hurt…it felt like any destructive feeling she had she had mustered up to show me.

If I wouldn't have been so shocked that she did it, I would have congratulated her on her increased strength. I had taught her a lot about fighting and roughhousing, even though Renesmee had no interest in ever hurting anyone. The blow didn't harm me; I was more worried she would have hurt herself from striking my own iron body.

Right away, I understood why she did it. I could see Edward looking at me quickly to see if I would get mad and shake, but I did the opposite. I practically cowered on the inside, although my body stood frozen.

_Okay, I deserved that. _

"Renesmee!" Bella gasped, rushing over to her. She grabbed her daughter's hand as if she was afraid I would be struck by her again.

Renesmee stared at me blankly, and I could tell that even she was shocked about what she had done. She sucked in a shocked breath, then was gone from the room like a bold of lighting. I had never seen her move that fast.

"Jake," Bella murmured, moving back to me. She placed her cool hand on my stinging face, giving me a woeful look with her golden eyes. I went to go after her, but Edward reached out his arm to stop me.

"No, I deserved it," I admitted, looking down at the floor. I fully believed it too – I deserved to be slapped in front of her whole family.

If I had a tail at that moment, it would have been shoved up between my legs and against my nuts so hard right now from the utter shame and embarrassment of being slapped by my imprint…She had put me in my place, and there wasn't a damn thing I was going to do about it. Because I deserved every ounce of it.

"Jacob, I need to fill you in," Edward muttered to me, and motioned for me to follow. It didn't surprise me that he didn't scold Renesmee for slapping me; hell, he'd probably wanted to do it himself a few times. I didn't miss the snort from his throat at that last thought as I looked at him, and then his wife.

I gave one last look at the stairs were my imprint had disappeared, then followed. I nodded at the rest of the Cullens and the Denali clan before I followed him, and I met eyes with someone I didn't recognize.

_So you must be Stefan. I'm going to deal with protecting Renesmee first, then you're going to die, _I thought to myself smugly.

Edward rolled his eyes at me in an exasperated way as we walked down the hallway to another room, the library I guessed.

_Edward, I smelled him on her. He was TOUCHING her. He was TOUCHING my imprint. He is going to die, _I chanted in my head to him. Bella and Alice followed us into the library, and I threw myself down on the first soft looking surface I could find. I was suddenly exhausted, and the weight of the day and why I was there was soon crashing down on me.

I looked up when the new vamp Stefan, Eleazar, and Jasper walked in, both of their faces stony and drawn, even for vampires. Edward shook his head at my errant thought, but stayed focused.

He looked at me, then at Stefan, who stood quietly in the corner of the huddle. I sat splayed on the couch, while the vampires stood all around the couch, noticeably away from me.

_They must have forgotten how I smell…ha! _

Edward sighed softly, one of his tell tale signs that he was already growing tired of my childish, possessive thoughts. I chuckled sadistically to myself. As strange as it was, I had grown a little closer to Edward with each passing year – we definitely had an understanding. He loved Bella unquestionably with all his heart – how could I not respect that? He had certainly dealt with her stubborn attitude, her change, and her newborn years better than I would have. Even though it had taken me half a decade to realize it, Bella _was_ best with Edward. She had always been special, even as a human- I had finally come to terms with the idea that her being a vampire just enhanced her personality and specialness. And besides…they had given me Renesmee. Edward cleared his throat, which I realized was more of a warning to me that he could hear my train of thought once again; however, that didn't really bother me. I had nothing to hide from him anyway at this point.

I had taken special care to not get on Edward or Bella's bad side. Ever since Renesmee was born and I imprinted on their daughter, I realized a few key points.

First, Renesmee would live forever. I could of course, adjust my phasing so that I lived forever as well, even though I hadn't fully wrapped my head around that concept…but that's another story.

Second, Edward and Bella were no longer a creepy, mind reading vampire leech and my best friend who was actually crazy enough to jump on the bloodsucking train…if everything went right, they were my future parents in law.

And thirdly, to wrap both packages together, they were going to be my in-laws…forever. So, as one can see it was important that I at least attempt to stay on their good side.

I still sometimes felt like I had won the lottery of luck, and rightly so. Before Bella's wedding, I had run off the Canada to pout and act like a child while my best friend tried to deal with the hardest thing she would do in her life, human or immortal. I was convinced that I had been dealt a crappy hand and life would treat me that way forever. But that had all changed.

Not only did my best friend come out as a pretty okay vampire, but she was still…well, she was still Bella. Just enhanced, and a little more emotional for a few years. On top of that, I had the chance to fall in love and know a piece of her for forever – Renesmee. And I was going to do anything to ensure that I never lost that.

Edward shifted a little, which still looked odd to me after all these years. Vampires weren't supposed to fidget. He tossed me a sideways, annoyed glare and I had to bite back a laugh.

"I called you here for a reason..._Jacob_," he finished. I looked at him incredulously.

_You were going to call me 'mutt', weren't you?_ I thought at him.

He ignored my comment and continued. "Jacob, Stefan…Stefan..this is Jacob. He is the leader of our allies," Edward introduced me. Stefan nodded politely at me, and I felt my insides ignite with rage. I wanted a _fight_. I felt every golden eye in the room fall on me to watch my reaction. I held my expression like a stone wall. _I wasn't going to let this vamp get to me anytime soon…._

"We have a problem, as I am sure you are well aware, Jacob," he said, standing in front of our group. He looked at the rest of them as Alice stood to take her place at his side.

"I've been seeing a vampire…a human feeder…who has been with the Volturi. I'm not sure, but I think he's coming here."

"Why?" I asked gruffly, crossing my arms.

Alice looked at me sternly, and I shifted uncomfortably, making the leather couch squeak. I knew better than to question Alice after almost a decade of knowing her and her talents, but I still couldn't help but wonder.

"It's alright Jacob," Edward assured me. I looked up at him from where he stood in front of our group, giving him a stern glare.

_I just want to know the facts before I get worked up, _I thought at him.

Edward gave me a brief nod before Alice continued. "I can't see him very well. It's almost like he's…deflecting me. Which doesn't make sense because he's a vampire, I can see that. He killed several times while he was in Italy, although he knew…"

"He knew what?" Jasper prodded her.

"He knew not to kill in Volterra. He didn't feed in the city," she finished, her eyes darting around the room. We all knew what that meant; even I knew what that meant.

Throughout my years with the Cullens, I had learned as much as possible about my potential possible foe the Volturi. When I realized that they were a threat, I had also realized that I needed to know as much about my enemy as I could. Over the years I had learned that the only way that vampires were to feed in the city of Volterra was when tourists were lured by their bait into the actual Volturi citadel. No vampire was allowed to hunt within the walls of the city without suffering harsh consequences.

I knew right away that the fact that this vampire hadn't fed in the city that he knew the rules; he knew what he was dealing with. This was no typical rambunctious newborn or angry vampire that wished to die by their hand. No, this meant that we were dealing with something entirely different.

"Exactly," Edward said to me after listening to my train of thought. I think he had always been impressed that I had taken an interest in learning about vampire culture, but I couldn't help it. They were a threat to her, therefore they were my enemy.

"What?" Bella asked him after her comment on my thoughts.

"Jacob realized as well that this vampire must have known about the Volturi. This is no random newborn we are dealing with."

"No," Alice continued. "And I can't' figure out why I can't really see him. He just…is fuzzy sometimes. I can't make a vision of him come to me like I can most vampires. I have to wait for it to come to me…and then when I do see it, it isn't clear like it should be. It shouldn't be harder for me to see."

I looked at the frazzled looking little vampire, noting that I hadn't' seen her this upset since Renesmee's birth.

"And I know I'm seeing him for a reason…he's…he's got an agenda, and I can't figure it out. I just want everyone to know. I would just feel awful if I didn't say anything…I didn't want to worry you all, but you need to know," she stated.

I nodded at her, glad to hear it. Now it was my turn. "We picked up a scent a few weeks ago in La Push that we didn't recognize," I said, looking at Edward. I brought the details of the scent to the front of my mind, letting Edward get the flavor of it through my thoughts. He frowned and shook his head.

"That's no one I know either," he said.

I shrugged. "Like I said, it worried me too." I looked up at Alice. "Could they be the same?"

"What?" she asked.

"The same. Could it be the same vampire? What are the odds of that? A strange new vamp scent close to your house, and then you get a vision of another strange new vamp?" I asked. "Wouldn't that make sense?"

Edward thought a moment, then nodded at her. "Yes, it would, actually." I watched as he looked at me, scanning my thoughts as I recalled a firsthand account of running around Forks and La Push after the new smell.

"But you realize the scent danced around both our property and La Push…like he knew to avoid getting to close," Edward mused quietly. Bella looked up at him, instantly alarmed.

Alice focused her eyes straight ahead, trying to muster up a vision. I already had a headache.

"Yes, it was. Either way, it was strange. It hung around random places and then turned north. By that time, it was cold and hasn't been back since. We've looked everywhere, and can't find where it came, but we know that it left and went north."

"He stole a car," Alice informed me. "I did see him do that. You wouldn't know after that anyhow. Neither one of us would be able to track it if he was in a car. The scent would be dead anyway."

"Well I don't like this," I stated sternly. "We need to figure this out before things get out of hand. I don't want those Volturi fuckers coming over here again. Just them being on the same continent makes me jumpy," I admitted, looking sideways at Stefan.

He avoided my gaze, instead staring at the floor.

Alice continued to fret. "I just can't figure it out. He knew not to feed in Volterra – a vampire would only know that unless he had been there before or if he-"

"Had met someone who knew to tell him the rules," Eleazar finally spoke up, slightly startling everyone in the room. He stepped forward, stroking his chin in deep thought.

"Eleazar?" Edward asked, concentrating on the soft spoken vampire. He had the look on his face like he was having an internal conversation with him.

Stefan shifted nervously, sighing. Eleazar looked at him, then back at Edward. "Alice can't see him because this vampire obviously has a gift that prevents others with gifts from seeing it clearly."

"What?" Alice asked. "Is there such a thing?"

Eleazar nodded. "I couldn't read Bella at all when I first met her as a vampire. It's because her gift was shield. I could only assume that that's what her gift was, because I couldn't read it."

"So?" Alice asked. She was clearly getting as agitated as I was.

"Yeah, so what?" I prodded. I just wanted to get on with this.

"So, this vampire obviously has a similar gift – we can only see certain things. Perhaps he has not mastered his gift yet because he is new…"

"This isn't a newborn..he has too much control."

"Not a newborn…but a newer vampire, maybe someone in their first few years," Eleazar replied. He looked at Stefan, who looked back at the floor, almost as if he was ashamed. I would soon understand why.

"I've only met one other vampire who I couldn't read properly because of his gift," Eleazar admitted. "He wasn't well developed yet, as he was newly changed. But the makings of it were there."

Edward looked at Stefan, scanning his thoughts. Stefan nodded sadly, and looked up at the rest of us. I sucked in my breath as I figured out what he was going to say before he said it.

"Damon…. my brother."

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The room was silent after Stefan made the assumption that it was his stupid leech of a brother that was causing all the trouble. In my mind, just letting the stupid kid stay here was a risk – the more I found out about this Damon character the less I liked either one of them.

"Do you think he's going to come here?" Alice asked, her yellow eyes wide. Stefan just shrugged, and I wanted to leap from my seat and strangle him for his vague answer. _Now was not the time for vague answers, damn it!_

Edward gave me one of his smug 'calm down, Jacob' looks, and I had to fight to control myself.

_When this sneaky leech is torn up and burning in a pile of purple smoke, then I'll relax, _I thought to Edward. He discretely rolled his eyes at me, and we waited for Stefan to debate Alice's question_. I don't even think I would have liked this guy if he was a human and not a vampire trying to steal my mate…._

"I…I don't know. But when Alice described what he looked like in her vision, and paired with what his gift could be…it makes sense that it's him. But Damon isn't…he's not bad. He's just..disgruntled."

"Yeah? And why is that?" I huffed. He growled slightly under his breath, and everyone looked at him as if they were shocked.

_Does he not growl often? _I wondered_. Maybe he's not a typical newborn…_

"He's still my brother, _Jake_," Stefan sneered slightly . I let a warning growl slip. Edward held up a hand, and motioned for Stefan to continue.

I didn't know what made me seethe with anger more; the fact that I was letting Edward silence me or the fact that I was dying to know more about these who brothers. _Call my crazy, but I wanted to see just what my imprint saw in this guy. _

"He didn't want this life, and he was angry when he woke up. I was the one who got make the choice for the both of us. Tanya and Kate offered to save us, but it had to be both of us. I took it," he said. "Damon woke up and was instantly angry."

"I had a hard time reading him, so I always figured that his talent was a lot like Bella's…he's a type of shield. But…his talent was still so undeveloped and he had no idea how to practice with it," Eleazar pointed out. "He was the hardest vampire to gauge that I've ever met."

Edward nodded. "So it would make sense that Alice can barely see him."

Eleazar nodded, and continued. "Damon did have a chance to read my journals about my time with the Volturi. I thought nothing of it at the time of course; I had no idea he would leave us so soon after his change. But…it was always his choice."

We stayed in the library for several hours, discussing whether or not it was realistic that it was really Damon or not that Alice was seeing. Well, the vamps discussed it. I basically just sat and did a lot of eye-rolling and huffing.

"So we hunt him down, question him, and if he's up to no good, we rip him apart. Problem solved," I finally said, standing up with a grunt. I was done discussing this; I wanted to see Renesmee. And eat.

"We will not be ripping apart Damon if we have the choice, Jacob," Eleazar reprimanded me sternly. I sighed and shrugged.

"Well if he's a threat to Renesmee, I can't make you any promises."

Stefan jumped up and was nose to nose with me in a second, his intense eyes boring into my own. "You make one move on my brother and I won't even give you time to wag your tail," he said, his voice quiet and intense. I looked him up and down and snorted.

"You try that. I _dare_ you," I shot back. "This _doggie_ has ripped his share of newborns apart…two more won't make me lose any sleep at night."

Edward and Eleazar had eventually pulled us out of our nose-to-nose stare down, and we went to the kitchen where Renesmee sat at the counter, leaning on Rosalie. I walked over to where Emmett stood, giving him a greeting punch on the shoulder.

"Hey brother, what's up?" he nodded at me. I shrugged and laughed.

"Makin plans to rumble with some vamps," I answered over my shoulder as I eyed Stefan, who was right behind Edward and Bella.

I glanced at Renesmee, who was staring straight at me. She looked away as soon as my eyes met hers, and then she did the unthinkable. She actually got up and _went_ to him.

"Hey," he mumbled to her, walking up to her side. She sat back down after a few moments, and he stood next to the chair she was perched on _and reached out and touched her cheek. So help me god. _

_If I was a new wolf, I would have phased in this kitchen. Mother of fucking God. He touched her! He TOUCHED HER. _

I was about to lose my fucking mind.

She glanced up at me as Carmen shoved a plate of something remotely appealing under my nose, and I stood at the crowded counter and ate while everyone else around us spoke nervously. Everyone had gravitated to the kitchen to make plans and discuss everything.

What if the Volturi came for some reason? Would they still want nothing to do with us? Would they still be uninterested in Renesmee? Would they want Edward and Alice? Would Aro be a problem? Did Carlisle need to come up? They kept throwing out arbitrary questions, but I wasn't paying any attention as I ate.

She sat across the large island at the counter, and he _stood next to her_. He stood next to her. _Touching her._ Absently playing with a piece of her _hair_. _He might as well have been singing 'Na-na na-na nah!' and fondling her in front of me. I probably wouldn't have been any less pissed that I am right now. _

I had chewed the bread in my mouth into a pulp, I was sure. I didn't even trust myself to swallow without hurling at the sight being dangled in front of me. No one even seemed to notice, or care, either. They all stood there, yammering away about what to do. Renesmee sat, staring at her lap. I knew she could feel me staring at her, but I didn't care.

_Ness, what the hell. You're gonna kill me. Ness…what have I done?_

Edward was probably beside himself worrying about what his daughter's crazy were wolf best friend was going to do in Carmen's kitchen, but I couldn't help myself. He was begging for me to end his life. Taunting me with her. Was everyone else blind? Was this normal behavior for her?

I almost died after dinner when Edward actually let her go upstairs to her room with him. I looked at him in disbelief, but he ignored me.

_Are you __**trying**__ to kill me? Teach me a lesson? Payback for Bella? Okay. Debt paid, I get it. You won. He won. She won. I fold. Whatever just….oh my fucking god, my imprint is upstairs, in her room, with a vampire…I'm gona lose it Edward. I'm going to lose my fucking mind. _

"Jacob," Edward muttered after I had finished eating. He motioned for me to follow him outside, and I went willingly. I wanted answers.

_I'm going to explode, Edward. I mean it – no wolf either. I'm just going to explode from the sheer rage running through my body right now, and just be blow to pieces. What. The. Fuck?_

"Jacob…I called you up here for a reason. Well..two actually. First was to have your help protecting Renesmee from…whatever it is. I don't know that it is Stefan's brother that might be coming, and I don't know if he will even care about Renesmee. However, I wanted you here so that…you would have your chance."

"What?" I asked, glancing back inside.

"Jacob….I'm on your side. Don't misunderstand me though; I do like Stefan," he said quietly, stepping closer to me. The hairs on my arm stood up. "But I have come to realize from only watching my daughter that she will lead a very unhappy life without you in it, as will you."

"You mean…"

"No. Bella is shielding her from me. She didn't feel it was fair right now for me to be able to hear her, and I agreed. It was for her own good."

I looked at him in amazement. It was so unlike Edward to admit defeat and let Bella-

"Jacob, I agreed wholeheartedly with her," he said, interrupting my thought. I leaned up against the back of the house and smirked at him, crossing my arms.

"So you can't hear Renesmee at all right now? Hah! Classic."

"Yes, well, I still hear you…unfortunately," he muttered at me. "But what I wanted to say now was that I have seen your dedication to my daughter for seven years now, and I realize she is full grown. You completed your end of the bargain, and I thank you for that, Jacob."

I was so amused I could barely grunt in acknowledgement. He continued.

"That being said, we now have a whole other set of problems. Renesmee has been….seeing Stefan while we are here. I know she must still think of you, but I can't be sure. I just know how dedicated your life has been to her and I wanted to at least alert you to the situation, Jacob. I wanted you to have a fair shot. After all this time and the restraint you've shown…it's the least I can do."

I was stunned. Edward had just admitted that I had done something _right._ He snorted when he heard my thought, then ran a stony hand through his disheveled coppery locks.

"Jacob…please don't make this any harder than it has to be. I called you up here more for her benefit than yours. I want her to stop toying with Stefan and just…move on with …this."

It was now my turn to snort. "Edward, I just think that-"

Suddenly, his head jerked up and whipped in the direction of the living room, his yellow eyes wide.

"What is it?" I asked, jumping up. We looked into the living room where Alice sat with the rest of the family, stock still with a vision dancing behind her eyes.

We rushed inside as Edward watched the vision take place, and I felt myself start to panic. "Edward…Edward what's wrong? What is she seeing? Alice?" I asked, pushing through the hard granite bodies of the vampires around me to stand in front of Alice. Edward stood across the room, scanning her vision as it finished, leaving Alice slack jawed and wide-eyed on the couch.

"Alice, what…?" Rosalie said, shaking her slightly. Alice looked at Edward, then at me.

"He's coming."

"Who?"

We all whipped out heads up to the staircase, where Stefan was making his way downstairs.

"Your bother," Edward said sharply. "Alice has seen him in Denali. He should be in the National Forrest Reserve in less than five minutes," he said.

Stefan froze mid step, his strange yellow and green eyes wide. "You mean…oh no, Renesmee," he gasped, darting the rest of the way down the steps.

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked, standing quickly.

Stefan glanced up at the steps, and then at the back doors to the large room we were in. "She…she was upset…so she went for a run. I didn't' think anything of it, I-"

I was instantly livid. My fists shook as I leaped across the distance between us and realized what had happened. _He had let her go out into the woods by herself and he had put my imprint in danger. _

"If your brother touches a hair on her head, consider both of you a pile of marble. We got that?" I growled. I was barely out the doors when I felt my clothes explode off my back and my paws hit the frozen ground. I could hear Edward's steps behind me, followed by the new bloodsucker Stefan.

_If she gets hurt because that stupid leech let her leave her room when his shady brother is around, consider him dead, Edward. Both of them. _

"Jacob, control yourself, we don't know the whole story," Edward warned, his legs churning up behind him. He was soon running just in front of me, and I had to struggle to keep up with him.

We followed Renesmee's scent for several miles; she had been pissed when she left, so she had gotten pretty far in her angst. Her scent swirled in my nose, taunting me as I ran. Stefan ran behind us silently, and it took every ounce of self control that I possessed not to turn around and rip him limb from limb.

_What a sick game this is. I wait all her life for her…and then I mess up my one chance. Now she's in love with a vampire and she's about to be ripped away from me completely…_

"There may not be a need to panic," Edward muttered as we darted through the forest. He held out a hand, signaling me to stop at the edge of a ravine. We stood at the top, one of us on either side of Edward. The steep hill swooped down several hundred feet into a large, flat creek bed that was frozen over. I sucked in my breath at what I saw.

Renesmee stood on one side, completely frozen as she stared at the vampire across the frozen water. He paced in front of her, almost tauntingly. I could see his red, glowing eyes from here, almost blocked from view by his shaggy, dark brown hair.

I couldn't help it. I warning growl escaped my lips and his eyes rose to meet mine. It was game on.

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Woo hoo! Damon is finally here! I hope you all didn't mind my build up to this point - Remember, this is a longer story. I've teased you all enough, and I'm terribly excited to be able to finally write Damon's character, as I know you are all happy to have him here. **Remember, you do NOT have to be a fan of The Vampire Diaries to enjoy this character. Please at least just Google him so that you can see Damon and all of his unholy sexiness : ) **

I hope you enjoyed this chapter from Jacob's POV – I got such a great response on the first chapter that was his POV that I thought this would be a great chapter to have Jake tell. Did you all enjoy his changed relationship with Edward? I tried to imagine how their relationship would have changed and progressed over the years, and this is what I came up with.

Okay, review time! What did you think? I'm going to do this again because it worked so well last week – **if I get some feedback today, I will bust my butt tonight and post another chapter for you all tomorrow. So please review!** Feedback is the best motivator there is, and I love to hear your thoughts on things. I do take your reviews and suggestions seriously.

**Also – Untouchable now has a one-shot prequel! It's on my account and is called **_**'Crave'.**_** It is a one shot that I did for a '1shot,1hr' challenge. It can stand alone OR as a prequel to this story. GO READ!**

**Feedback today = another new chapter tomorrow. **


	26. now that you're close

But I will never be your stepping stone  
Take it all or leave me alone  
I will never be your stepping stone  
I'm standing upright on my own

You used to call me up from time to time  
And it would be so hard for me not to cross the line  
The words of love laid on my lips just like a curse  
And i knew oh yes i knew they'd only make it worse  
You got your kicks you get your kicks from playing me  
And the less you give the more i want so foolishly

Stepping Stone – Duffy

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Ahh! This story hit 3,000 hits this month. Insane! Thank you for all your support and reviews and time spent reading! I got wonderful feedback AGAIN this week from yesterday's chapter, so as promised, here is one of my favorite chapters yet.

A *HUGE* thank you to all my reviewers! : ) You all made my day!

And to my anonymous reviewers, you are all very sweet too! I just can't reply to ya if you don't log in.

**After this, go read the PREQUEL to this story entitled 'Crave'. **

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She had snuck out. Granted, she wasn't going out to do anything mildly entertaining in the least, but at this point she would take what she could get.

Jacob had shown up and completely shocked her. _Why was he here?_ She already regretted hitting him; it was a completely childish and outlandish thing to do, of that she was aware. It was almost like her fist had had a mind of its own as it connected with his face just hours before. How dare he just show up unannounced!

She had mustered up all the rage, sadness and abandonment from the past few weeks and had delivered it to him in a brief flash using her gift. Her hand had struck his cheek and she had hopefully shocked him silly with her intense emotions.

_Serves him right, I hope I stunned him. _

After running up to her room, she had sat on her bed and tried to calm the flood of emotions that had resurfaced from seeing him. She was still angry with him; her balled up fists and flushed cheeks were proof enough of that. But she was also glad to see him and the ache in her chest that had been constant the past few weeks had finally waned. Her heart pounded in excitement to finally see him, embarrassingly enough. Sometimes it really sucked to live in a houseful of super sensitive hearing family members.

Of course, immediately she had panicked – _what was she going to do now that Stefan and Jacob were in the same house together?_ They had both already expressed extreme distaste for each other, that was for sure. _What now?_

But why was he here? Her father had gone outside and waited for him, so she knew that he had called. Did it have to do with Stefan? She wasn't quite sure, and she hated feeling this naïve and out of the circle of information.

She had heard whispers from her family that there was another vampire coming to see them, but she couldn't decide what the big deal was. When she had asked Stefan what he knew and he had politely tried to distract her, she had had enough. She was tired of being left out like a silly child with people always dancing around her and not telling her the truth.

_I'm a woman now, they should be straight with me. This isn't fair!_

Stefan had tried to talk to her after the scene with Jacob in the entryway of the house, but she couldn't make herself even look him in the eye. She had mercilessly dangled him in front of Jacob down in the kitchen, and she already felt awful for it. Stefan had left her room and retreated back downstairs in defeat. No matter…she didn't feel like talking my anyway.

_I'm using them both like a stupid, petulant child. _

After Stefan had left her alone, his attempts to talk to her fruitless, she had jumped soundlessly from her window and into the steadily darkening night. She would be glad to go for a run, clear her thoughts, and then let sleep find her. Things always looked better in the light of the morning.

She ran through the pines that were frozen with snow, her bare feet ghosting over the frozen surface. Her black, long sleeved t-shirt clung to her body as her coppery hair whipped around her face. She regretted not even stopping to put shoes on, but it was too late for that now. She wouldn't be gone long, just long enough to feel the wind against her face and to clear her thoughts. Today had been very overwhelming, and she wasn't' sure how to handle both Stefan and Jacob being in the same vicinity of each other. It was a completely different game when they were separated by a few thousand miles.

She felt horrible for Stefan. He was sweet, charming, and had a kind heart. They had healed each other in many ways, how could she deny that? Her heart fluttered when she thought of him, but did he do more for her than Jacob? Just the thought of her best friend made her mind think of things she wasn't proud of.

As she ran, her unmentionable fantasy from a few weeks ago came to the front of her mind. The two of them stood on either side of a clearing, both of them poised and ready for the fight. _The fight over _her_._ Her cheeks burned as she ran, the vision shaming her just as much now as it did then.

She slowed her pace to an ambling walk, and eventually she stopped, looking around. She was several miles from home, but in a place she didn't recognize. The hilly terrain had lead her to stand in the bottom of a large, sloping ravine that was home to a frozen creek that wound through the forest.

An unsettling feeling came over her slowly. Raising her eyes, she surveyed the area around her but didn't notice anything strange or out of place.

"Hmmm," she mumbled to herself with a slight shrug. Stepping onto the ice, she laughed as she gracefully slid, twirling herself on the clear, glass-like surface. Pushing off from the snowy bank she glided across the slick ice, spinning a few times with a laugh that echoed off the frozen trees.

Suddenly, she stopped. She was being watched. The thin, light hairs on her arms stood up, as did the hair on the back of her neck. He breathing slowed as she tried to maintain control.

Looking around, she tried to see where the feeling was coming from. It was the typical unsettling feeling that she got when she knew that a pair of eyes were on her.

And then there they were.

Just like in her dreams, a pair of crimson eyes stared back at her.

However, they didn't belong to a menacing looking monster like she thought, but instead to a vampire who was lurking in the trees, crouched down low, ready for the attack.

. He stood in the open moonlight, his skin glittering subtly, frozen as a statue. His eyes were red, but not glowing like he had recently fed. His slightly shaggy but styled dark brown hair hung down on his forehead, just slightly brushing over his arched eyebrows.

His high cheek bones and chiseled, masculine jaw matched his tall, lean frame. He was slightly slender, but was built very similarly to Stefan: muscular and well defined, but not overly so.

She froze, unsure of what to do next. He wasn't poised like he was going to attack her, but she still felt slightly uneasy, like she wasn't sure what he was going to do next. He blinked, cocking his head to the side slightly to look at her closely.

He took a step forward cautiously, him appearing just as unsure as she was.

"Well well well…what do we have _here_?" he said softly, his slightly raspy voice asked. It was still smooth like a vampire's voice should be, but housed a gruff undertone that made goose bumps rise up on her arms.

When she finally found her voice, she was uncertain of what to say. "Who…w-who _are_ you?" she stuttered, slowly moving off the ice. He continued to walk slowly forward so that he was now standing on the other side of the frozen creek.

He looked at her strangely, which wasn't a reaction she was unused to. Most vampires were very skeptical about what to make of her when they first saw her ivory, granite looking skin and heard her beating heart.

"Who are _you?" _ He asked, turning her question back on herself. She blinked several times, her eyes traveling up and down his body. He wore dark jeans and boots, a dark grey t-shirt that clung to his muscled stomach, and an expensive looking, black leather jacket. His clothes were clean and fresh-looking, and he had no dirt on his skin or debris in his perfectly coiffed hair. _This was no nomad._

"My name is Renesmee," she finally choked out. She couldn't stop staring at the beautiful creature in front of her. He was absolutely captivating. "So who are you? Answer my question," she finished, trying to sound authoritative. She was suddenly very curious about this new vampire.

He laughed as if he was shocked that she had the audacity to ask such a question.

"I'm…Damon. And I'm going to go out on limb and guess that _you_… know my brother."

"Stefan?" she gasped, her eyes wide. No wonder this new vampire had captivated her. _It was Stefan's brother!_

He nodded slowly, a smile forming on his perfect lips. Renesmee paused, unsure if she should be enthralled or should be fearing for her life. She stood, completely spellbound, and waited for him to speak again.

"You're…a Cullen, aren't you?" he finally asked, turning his head to look at her.

She nodded, and then frowned. "Wait, how did you know that?"

"I stayed with Eleazar and his coven for a short time after I was changed – they talked about their friends," he said. "So you're….yes, you're it," he said softly, his crimson eyes staring at her. She frowned.

"I'm what? What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Oh…" he said quickly. "Eleazar talked about your family. You're…animal drinkers?" he asked matter of factly, jamming his hands into his jean pockets.

She nodded slowly, watching him closely. "Yes, we are…."

He looked up at her, his strange but enticing red eyes glittering as he waited for her to continue.

"But I can eat food," she said slowly, immediately wondering if she should have divulged that information.

He looked at her straight on, his interest in her apparent now. "So based on that fact along with your beating little human heart...I can't help but ask, Renesmee…what are you?"

She swallowed loudly, the aforementioned organ picking up the pace and beginning to thrum wildly as she watched him. His scent blew towards her in the chilly night air. It was a pleasant mix of fresh rain and leather, laced with oak-like tones that reminded her of freshly chopped wood.

"I'm…I'm a vampire."

He chortled slightly, looking her up and down. "I can see that…but you already gave something away. I am, as you can see, a vampire as well, yet I have red eyes, no heartbeat, and survive on…well, blood," he said, cocking an arched eyebrow at her.

She shifted nervously, still cautious of what to say or do. "Well…I'm slightly different from you. I'm…I'm half human."

He gave her a knowing, mock surprised look, and she felt a little uneasy. No, a little more than uneasy…almost…afraid.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quickly, holding up his hand. "I'm no newborn," he chuckled quietly, giving her pointed glance.

"Oh…sorry," she mumbled, looking down at her feet for a second. He smiled, exposing his rows of glittering white teeth. There was something menacing yet appealing in his revealing gesture, yet she wasn't sure what it was.

He stood frozen, looking at her from the other side of the frozen little body of water, not fifteen feet away from her, neither one saying anything for a second. Then they heard it.

A low, menacing growl.

They both looked up to the top of the hilly ravine just as the scents of her father, Stefan, and Jacob hit her nose. She looked at Damon, whose red eyes were now wide in alarm as they drank in the sight of Jacob.

The next few seconds were in slow motion through her eyes. Jacob flew down the rocky, tree covered ravine, his powerful wolf legs churning beneath him. Edward and Stefan both called out for him to stop and wait, but he couldn't be bothered to listen as he charged down to their level. He instantly moved himself to stand in front of Renesmee, his teeth bared and his hackles standing up. She flinched at the sudden heat of him as he moved in front of her, clearly setting himself up as a barrier not to be trifled with.

Damon snorted in disbelief at what he saw when he realized that the giant wolf in front of him was placing her safety over all else. Edward and Stefan slid to the bottom of the clearing, one on either side of Jacob.

Then, everyone froze to see what Damon would do. Edward began frowning as he tried to read Damon's thoughts, but he was clearly frustrated about something going on in his mind.

Damon smirked at Edward, and then looked at Stefan smugly. "Hello, brother."

"Damon!" Stefan gasped, clearly shocked to have his brother standing in front of him.

"Stefan…long time no see. I gather you've been…busy, though. I should have known. She reeks of you," he said, raising an eyebrow to look at his brother. Stefan glanced guiltily at Renesmee, who just shifted awkwardly in embarrassment.

_He must have been able to smell his brother on me right away._ Renesmee thought about how Stefan had touched her in the kitchen, and then given her a hug and a chaste kiss on the forehead after leaving her alone in her room earlier.

Jacob snarled, offended at Damon's observation. Damon's eyes widened when Jacob spoke up and voiced his displeasure.

"Nice guard dog," Damon spat at his brother. "Jealous, is he?"

"That's none of your business," Stefan snapped, his voice harsher than Renesmee had ever heard it.

"Touchy touchy," Damon sneered. He looked over at Renesmee and winked, his red eyes glittering. Her heart rate sped up at the motion and she felt blood rise in her cheeks. She hated him but she _liked it._

"Where have you been all this time? Why did you leave? You barely said good bye, Damon."

"I was busy. I wasn't going to sit around in backwoods Alaska and just rot, chasing after squirrels for my meals," he said, his intense crimson eyes staring into Stefan's. "Nice to see your diet hasn't changed. Say hello to Bambi for me."

Stefan growled warningly as Damon began to casually pace on the other bank of the creek. "Oooh! Grouchy. You always were the moody one, Stefan."

"Damon…why are you here? You scared us all, Alice-"

Edward cut him off, holding out his hand and shaking his head. Renesmee watched as her father looked at Damon strangely. _Wait…can Dad not hear Damon?_

"What was that?" Damon asked, sensing he had missed something.

"Damon, I'm sure everyone would like to see you back at the house – would you like to join us?" Edward asked politely. Renesmee looked at her father, and then at Stefan, who was staring intensely at his brother. Jacob huffed in annoyance, and Renesmee reached out beside her to grasp his fur.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I just came to see what you were up to, brother. And now I see…," he looked Renesmee up and down, "that you've been up to quite a bit."

His last comment sent Jacob over the edge. With a growl and a frustrated flick of his tail, Jacob launched himself across the creek straight at Damon's throat. Damon's eyes widened at the suddenness of the attack before he darted out of the way. Jacob collided with a large tree, sending it crashing down to lie across the creek. Edward pushed his daughter out of the way, and Stefan moved to stand on her other side. He was unsure of what to do; he wanted to help his brother, but he had no idea what a werewolf was capable of.

Damon landed on the snow, crouching into an attack position as Jacob got on his feet, shaking his head from the force of the blow. Damon leaped at him, landing on his back. The two of them rolled together several times, grunts and growls flying.

Damon was the first up from their roll and quickly reached back and cracked his granite arm into Jacob's shoulder with a sickening noise. Jacob yelped, but turned his large head quickly to sink his teeth into Damon's shoulder.

He roared out in pain, and the air was filled with the awful sound of razor sharp teeth grinding against the marble-like hardness of vampire skin. Bits of snow and ice flew up into the air as Jacob was able to grab him again, this time on the arm. Damon brought his hand down again on Jacob's injured shoulder, making him relax his jaws.

Once Jacob let go, Damon quickly grabbed his bitten arm and looked at it closely. Jacob's teeth had gone straight through the jacket and made quite a dent in his granite skin. He growled at the wolf, which was on its feet and ready to go again.

Damon looked at Stefan and narrowed his eyes. "This isn't over," he spat viciously before disappearing into the darkness. Jacob grunted and promptly fell to the ground with a thud, whining loudly in pain.

Renesmee and Edward darted to his side, and Stefan looked at the woods where his brother had disappeared to.

"Leave him," Edward said sternly to him. He turned his attention back to Jacob's injured shoulder.

"I'll have to wait for you to phase back to set this. He popped it out of place when he hit you. It will hurt worse to fix it as a wolf," Edward said, scanning the awkwardly placed shoulder. Renesmee watched from the other side as her father communicated mentally with her best friend, and her heart suddenly broke for him. He had gotten hurt defending her.

_I don't deserve you, _she thought as she reached out to stroke his muzzle. Stefan watched her pet the large animal, not sure what to say. He was so ashamed that his brother had shown up out of the blue and scared everyone so badly.

They eventually helped a wounded and whining wolf-Jacob stand and hobbled back to the house. The three of them were silent as they walked beside the gimping wolf, no one having a clue what to say or do. Once they reached the yard, they were met by Alice and Bella who were carrying clothes and a blanket for an ailing Jacob.

"Go inside, Renesmee," Edward said when they reached them. Renesmee could tell by the authoritative tone in his voice that he wasn't in the mood to be argued with. Debating for a split second, she looked at Jacob, then to her mother, who nodded. She gave Jacob one last woeful look before turning to run into the house. His wolf eyes watched her the entire way.

"Can you phase back?" Edward asked, crouching beside the large animal. Jacob nodded his large head slowly, and Edward motioned for everyone to stand back. Stefan watched in a mixture of horror and amazement as the huge, russet animal shuddered a few times, blurred, and then shrank to reveal the tan boy, wincing and growling on the white snow.

Bella immediately threw the blanket over him, and Alice and Edward picked him up long enough to help him into the sweat pants they had found for him.

"What happened?" Bella asked frantically, eying Jacob's shoulder. Edward gave her an annoyed look that pretty much summed it up. "Jacob's temper got the best of him…he attacked Damon."

"Jacob!"

"He was getting on my nerves."

"Well that's a good reason," Bella snapped. Edward waved her off.

"You summoned the rest of the pack?" Edward asked incredulously, scanning Jacob's thoughts. He nodded once before wincing in pain, and Edward covered his eyes with his arm.

"Jacob, this will only provoke him. We don't know that he wants a fight."

"Damon wouldn't want a fight," Stefan interjected from behind. Jacob glared over his shoulder as Edward and Bella helped him limp towards the back door of the house.

"Yeah, 'cause that's exactly what it looked like when he hit me in the shoulder!" Jacob growled.

"You attacked him!" Stefan shot back. Jacob grunted in discomfort as they set him down.

"He was pissing me off."

"Which isn't hard to do," Alice interjected. Jacob just rolled his eyes at her, and she gave him a smug glare.

"Are you satisfied?" Bella huffed at Jacob as she helped him lie back onto the couch. Edward moved to readjust his shoulder and pop it back into place.

Jacob's gaze met Stefan's, and he narrowed his gaze. "Not yet."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Several hours later, the Cullens had moved Jacob into the large bedroom at the end of the hall upstairs that was usually used by Carmen and Eleazar. Edward had moved his shoulder back into place for it to heal.

Renesmee sat on her bed, picking at her nails. She didn't know what to do – the ache in her chest had returned and was now worse than ever. It was almost as if that was where her conscience resided, and it wanted to punish her for toying with Jacob earlier.

"He's resting...you should…" Alice trailed off, sticking her head in Renesmee's room. She nodded, and left as quietly as she had come. Renesmee made her way down to Jacob's room as silently as possible, not wanting to wake him up if he was asleep. Poking her head in the door, she was shocked to see that he was awake, propped up in bed, looking straight at her.

"Hey," she said sheepishly, stepping inside. The silence that greeted her was deafening. He stared at her for a few moments, his black eyes unfeeling and stony.

She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, close to his feet. He laid there silently for a few moments, as if to punish her for being so cruel to him earlier. He winced as her weight on the mattress shifted it, and for a moment she was scared. _He really did get hurt badly. _

After some time had passed, his expression softened. "What do you want? I'm supposed to be resting," he said.

His words were sharp but his tone was softer; she knew that he wouldn't hold her to what she had done earlier. She watched him eye the silver and woven bracelet on her left arm, giving it a self-satisfied look.

"I just wanted to see how you felt."

"Like you care," he spat.

She jerked her head up to stare at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He rolled his black eyes at her and she could see his jaw tighten in frustration. "Ness, don't even go there. You know what. You know why I'm pissed."

"Okay, I have a little bit of an idea, but I'm mad at you, too, Jake."

"What the hell? Why would you be mad at me?"

"Jake, you know why I'm mad. You left me in woods after you kissed me!"

"I know, Ness, and I'm sorry. I guess it was just an assumption that you would be over that by now."

Her eyes grew wide with rage. "Over it? Over it? Are you joking? My best friend kisses me suddenly one night and then calls it an accident? And then you leave without saying anything and don't even bother to call me for weeks and weeks?"

"You seem to have gotten over me just fine," he snapped, wincing at the ache in his chest from arguing with her. He knew this wasn't going to do either one of them any good, but he couldn't help himself. He was angry, and he wanted her to know it.

"What choice did I have? You abandoned me and threw me to the wayside like a cheap piece of trash that you didn't give a shit about, Jacob. How could I just forget that?"

He stared at her in shock, a plethora of emotions swirling in his stomach. "I did no such thing," he finally spat at her. "I left because it was the right thing to do!"

"What does that even mean?"

"I left…" he stopped, looking at her. No, it wasn't right. He wasn't going to tell her that he left that night because he had kissed her unfairly. He had broken the bargain he had made with her parents, and he was afraid that he would end up doing even more than just kissing her. He wasn't going to just announce that she was his imprint when things were like this.

He wasn't going to tell her that that kiss had been his awakening, his reason for living for the past few months without her. His beacon of light in the darkness.

"Well?" she prodded.

He frowned at her. "Why do you care, anyway? Like I said…you seemed to be getting along pretty well without me."

"Stefan and I are friends…."

"Apparently," he sneered. She glared at him, resisting the urge to slap him again for the second time that day. She growled in warning, and he growled back. Their eyes locked on each other, and she was suddenly filled with more rage than ever.

"You left, and I picked up the pieces. Stefan just happened to be there to help me sweep them under the rug," she said smugly before standing up. Her chest pulled at her, twisting and wrenching as she made her way to the door. He snorted in defiance at her.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?

"Guess who I learned it from," she said slamming the door shut.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Edward and Bella watched from down below as their daughter stomped from one end of the upstairs hallway balcony to the other, slamming her door shut. Bella looked at him blankly, unsure of how to react.

"You know, when she was first born and she looked at me with your big brown eyes, I honestly thought she could do no wrong."

Bella made an exasperated face at him, further leaning into him. They were lounging on the couch, trying to relax after a rather stressful day.

"Should we be more worried about Damon?" she asked, switching the subject.

Edward shrugged. "I'm just confused about why I couldn't read his thoughts. It was eerie…like when we met."

"So he's a shield, like me."

Edward nodded. "Yes, but there was something strange about it. When I…when I see your shield in my mind's eye, it looks like a wall. Just a wall. But this…This was like a blank canvas, or a projector screen. Does that make sense?"

Bella shook her head no. "I don't get it."

Edward pressed his lips together in thought. "They're different, somehow. His feels to me like he could almost…project something on it."

"Did he?" she asked.

"No," he mused. "But it was definitely strange. Similar to your gift – they are in the same family, but not the same specifically."

"Eleazar did say that he's never seen two gifts behave the same way."

Edward nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm afraid of."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Upstairs, Alice was having her own trouble. Jasper looked on from the bed as she continue to pace back and forth.

"You coming to bed, darling?"

"We don't sleep, Jasper," she said quickly.

He rolled his eyes at her. "That's not exactly what I was getting at."

She glanced at him apologetically but kept pacing. Searching, was more like it. She kept focusing her gaze, trying to search for Damon's future, but saw nothing.

"He really _is_ a shield. But…it's not like Bella. I can see Bella. It's almost like he doesn't want me to see his future."

"Alice…."

"Why are you not more worried about this?" she asked, looking at him pleadingly.

"Alice, we have her well protected. One vampire isn't gonna get to her tonight," Jasper softly reminded her.

She sighed heavily, plopping down on the bed beside him. He looked at her gently but expectantly, and she knew what he wanted.

"We don't have to if you don't want to, love."

She smiled. _He_ _always could practically read her thoughts. _He smiled his gentle grin at her, and she couldn't help but return it. Jasper was a very serious man most of the time, but below his stony façade was a gentle, fearless soul that had an endless capacity for love and affection, and Alice had seen that from the start.

"I just worry about Renesmee…and Stefan…and Jacob."

"We all do. But we should know…you can't tell that girl what to do. She'll only run off on her own and do the exact opposite."

She smiled and nodded. "I know."

"Now c'mere," he drawled, pulling playfully on a spiky lock of her hair. She giggled and finally let the thoughts of her niece drift from her mind.

_She had a southern man to tend to for now. _

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

For the first time in almost two years, Stefan felt physically ill. He didn't know what to think. Before Jacob came, things were going relatively well with Renesmee. He wasn't stupid; he had _fallen in love_ with her. Well, looking back on that now, he did feel rather stupid.

However, he remembered Rosalie's lecture about living this life alone, and it sounded like something he wanted no part in. _Was it so wrong of him to try and woo Renesmee? Was it so wrong to want a mate to share this life with?_ He didn't think so. Loneliness had driven him to do things he never thought he would do.

For example, after laying eyes on the werewolf, he never thought he would have the courage to challenge him ever again. And yet, the moment he saw the way Renesmee looked at him, and vice versa, a fire had been lit in his core, driving him to do the insane. Jacob was no novice fighter, that much he had seen during his skirmish with Damon. _Would he risk going up against him to fight for Renesmee? _

When he weighed his options, common sense did not win out. He knew the answer – yes, he would fight for her. Rosalie had brought up some topics of solitary life that didn't seem appealing to him in the least. He couldn't help how he viewed Tanya and Kate and how the spark just simply wasn't there. He thought of Tanya as an older sister and Kate was happy as could be now that Garrett had returned. No, there were no options there.

Renesmee was his first choice, and his only choice for that matter. He had made up his mind. _If it came to a fight, he would do just that. _

Fight.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the time Renesmee had awoken the next day from her fitful sleep, a large portion of Jacob's pack had arrived. She walked down the stairs in the Great Room to have the smell of fresh food hit her nostrils, along with hearing hoots and grunts of the pack echoing from the kitchen.

Pausing in front of a mirror in the hallway, she quickly smoothed down her wild locks and tried to get herself together a little. Looking down, she cringed at her black tank top and sloppy looking pajama bottoms.

_Of course I would look like a slob when Jacob's pack gets here. Great. _

She walked into the kitchen, and every eye was suddenly on her. Jake, Quil, Seth, Embry, Collin, and Brady were hunched around the center island, and Carmen, Kate, Garrett, and Emmett were all on the outside, watching them eat.

"Good morning mi Niña!" Carmen finally said, giving her a sly smile. Renesmee returned her infectious grin, and soon the entire pack, minus Jacob, erupted in greetings and welcoming for Renesmee.

"There she is!" Seth growled playfully, rushing over to swoop her up in a bear hug. She squealed as he squeezed her, and soon she was being grabbed in another huge hug from Collin and Quil.

"Sup, Nessie?" Embry greeted her through a mouthful of food.

"Hey guys," she laughed, readjusting her tank top after they were finished. She glanced at Jake, who was carefully avoiding making eye contact with her. He was leaning back against the cabinets, his arms crossed. She ignored him and continued to greet her friends that she had missed so much.

They all sat together, making small talk and eating breakfast and it was almost like old times. All of their eyes raised and they halted their conversation, however, when Stefan strode into the room.

"Good morning," he said carefully, his golden eyes darting around to the hot room full of huge teenage boys. They all sat frozen, their eyes sizing him up.

"Good morning," Jacob finally answered, surprising everyone. Stefan looked at him calmly and nodded.

"Hey," Renesmee replied awkwardly. Stefan looked at her, then back at Jacob.

"Jacob, would you like to come with me? I'd like to go look for my brother," he said. Every eye in the now silent kitchen shifted towards Jacob to gauge his reaction to Stefan's offer. He narrowed his eyes for a second, and then nodded.

"Sure thing," he said gruffly, uncrossing his arm. He walked forward, and all the boys at the counter moved like they were going to get up and follow him. He held up his arm to stop them, and they sat back down with confused looks on their faces.

They all watched as Jacob walked through the kitchen and across the Great Room after Stefan. They both exited out the back doors and were gone. Renesmee looked at the rest of the pack in bewilderment.

"What the hell?"

Stefan and Jake had left the house. Alone. Together. _What was going on?_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They waited until they were out of hearing range from all the sensitive pairs of ears that resided at the house before speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you," Stefan began, walking slowly through the snowy pines. Jacob snorted, yanking at the collar on his t-shirt.

"I kinda figured," he said curtly, keeping himself a few feet distanced from Stefan.

They walked together in silence for a few moments, neither sure where to start.

"Damon…I don't want you to get the wrong idea about him," he finally said. Jacob snorted.

"My shoulder begs to differ."

Stefan looked at him, then down at the ground. "I was hoping you would let that slide. He…he just felt cornered, I mean, I know Damon. That's not how he is. He enjoys egging others on, seeing what reactions he can get. He's not really a bad person, Jacob-"

"Listen, leech. He's a vampire, and I'm a wolf. We're made to kill things like you. You're lucky to still be standing here in front of me."

Stefan looked at him, noticeably biting his tongue.

"I know that the rest of your pack is here, and I just want to make sure that if they do stumble across him that I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't harm him."

Jacob stopped walking and looked at him in amazement. "Listen. I can understand the fact that he's your brother. Alright? I get it. But I'm not promising anything. My one purpose on this planet is to protect your little girlfriend, okay?"

Stefan looked at him, clearly flabbergasted. "My girlfriend?"

"Nessie," Jacob spat, turning on his heel to keep walking. Stefan jogged off after him.

"Wait, I thought she-"

"I know what I saw yesterday, okay? I'm not slow, if that's what you think," Jacob growled.

"I assumed now that you were here…."

"No. You assumed wrong. She and I are not together…I'm just here to...p-protect her," he finally said. Jacob looked at him, his eyes saying the opposite of what his words were telling him.

"You're not fooling me, Jacob," Stefan said softly.

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one," Jacob fumed, stomping further into the forest.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

So what did you think? Pleeease I need feedback on this one, I worked really hard to make this chapter action packed and exciting. Did you guys enjoy seeing Damon and Nessie interact? She knows to be a little scared of him, but he's so new and enthralling and exciting that she just can't help herself! She's sick of being treated like a baby and she senses that Damon will the someone who can help her…

And what do you all think of Damon's gift? I really tried to be realistic with it and not give him something too weirdly outlandish. He is a shield, much in the family of Bella's talent. There is also a little more to it, and Edward came close to guessing it when he spoke with Bella.

Whew! Please review, and don't forget to read the one-shot prequel that I wrote to this story called 'Crave'. I just posted it, and would love to hear thoughts on it! I wrote it for a 1 hr challenge.

Also, be sure to join me on Twitter! We are having a ton of fun over there, so please add me and join in on the convos! TwilightCakes.

I also now have a Facebook! I am Twilight Cakes Fanfiction on Facebook, so add me there if you would like a friend as well : )

Okay…if I get feedback on this, I will post again on Monday, which is a holiday here – what better way to celebrate?

REVIEW!


	27. I feel like comin undone

But his dark eyes dared me with danger  
And sparks fly like flame to a paper  
Fire in his touch burnin' me up  
But still I held on  
'Cause I was already gone

Already Gone – Sugarland

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Author's Note: Okay, first of all, this story has hit 3500 hits THIS MONTH! That's 500 hits since the last time I updated, which was only like what, 3 days ago? And the reviews! You guys rock. I have cranked out more material in the past week or two due in large part to your *awesome* reviews than I ever have before. So THANK YOU!

I have noticed 2 main questions in my reviews, and I did respond to you all (I hope?) but I will also address them here for my anon reviewers (you guys rock too) and anyone who had the question in general. I can assure you that the story has been planned out in full detail and I'm writing everything for a reason, but here are some Q&As.

**Jake is in Alaska with his full grown imprint, why doesn't he just tell her about it already?**

_I have my reasons for this. Remember how he fantasized about how perfect it would be to finally tell her in a romantic setting? The situation in Alaska is far from what he had pictured in his head. She's upset at him, Damon is around and is a possible threat, there is a possible threat from the Volturi again as well, and he's convinced she's in love (or lust) with a vampire that he hates. Hardly the perfect setting, don't you think? Consider this - think about the imprint as a fine wine, so to speak. He's waited for years to tell her, and in my book he doesn't want to just blurt it out and miss savoring the moment. He's waited __**7 **__years! I just think that he would want to wait for the ideal time instead of just spitting it out while she's pissed at him – he doesn't want their relationship to start off that way. Also, she's his imprint, and if Stefan makes her happy, then he would technically have to be happy for her. _

**Why don't Jake and Renesmee just get over each other already?**

_I got this one a lot, and I got a kick out of it : )_

_This story plays with the idea that even their imprint, what should technically be 'true love' isn't always perfect. __**Love stories are hardly ever easy**__, and if they were – where would all the fun be? Their story plays with the idea that __**true, passionate love can make people do some really stupid things. **__ (The Bitch Slap, Jake's Oral Adventure, Renesmee dangling Stefan in front of Jake) Just because its true love doesn't mean they will live happily ever after automatically. Renesmee is still a bit naïve, immature, and inexperienced, and Jake is stubborn, pig headed, and sexually frustrated from waiting for a girl that he's not even sure wants him anymore. This story is far from over, and their characters are still transforming and maturing. Just think; if you're 18, when you hit that age did you automatically have the behavior, thoughts, and feelings as a real adult? I know I didn't. Just because she's full grown doesn't mean she has it all figured out, and Jake doesn't either. _

_Renesmee will *NOT* forgive him easily like a certain someone else did __***coughEdwardBellacough*.**__ So please bear with me. Remember__**, true love is never easy. **_

Read!

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Jacob snorted loudly, trying to expel the smell of vampire from his nostrils. The sickly sweet smell of the new leech Damon burned the inside of his nose, almost giving him a headache. However, he was not complaining about hunting a vampire, especially now that it was okay for him to do so. He loved tracking vampire; there was something so satisfying about the chase of one, especially when he found it. And this was one vampire he was determined to find.

Tracking Damon, for instance, was very gratifying, or at least it was about to be. He had figured out that Damon's scent was indeed the same scent he and his pack had tracked all around La Push, wasting day after day chasing after it. Just thinking back to the time wasted and frustration he had caused made Jacob was practically seethe with rage.

_I bet that fucking blood sucker is laughing at us all right now...he knows exactly what he did. I swear I'm gonna rip him limb from limb, I don't care what 'Stefan' says…_

After their discussion behind the house, Stefan and Jacob had split, each going in a different direction to hunt for Stefan's brother. However, they had not left before Jacob warned him that he had better find Damon before he stumbled across him personally. His shoulder still ached from where Damon had gotten a hold of him, and Jacob wasn't about to let Damon get away with that. The thought of the new vampire striking him in his bad shoulder made him grind his teeth and run even faster through the cold, Alaskan forest.

Damon was devious and he needed to be stopped.

His mind drifted to all of the conversations that he had had with his pack in human form back in La Push. He had spoken about Renesmee and his predicament with her in the garage, at Billy's house, Sam's house, the Cullens house – practically everywhere. Jacob knew that vampires, like him, had exceptional hearing. He could have heard plenty just from eavesdropping on what was going on.

_But we didn't smell him if he was close enough…god, this leech is extra sneaky._

He continued to trot through the snowy wilderness, trying to keep his mind off of Renesmee. He was almost grateful he had a leech to hunt; anything to not think about her. His mind drifted to school, and how much of it he was currently missing.

It was no use. School and his life there seemed a million miles away. The incident at the party with Carly felt like it had happened eons now, not that that mattered. If Renesmee really did choose Stefan over him, he would have a life time left to be with girls like Carly. Mindless, blurry, uninteresting girls like Carly.

_**Renesmee would belong to someone else. **_

_Would he be able to handle that? Could he wake up every morning and go to sleep each night, knowing that she was living and breathing with someone else? For someone else? _

_Could he handle the fact that his imprint's love would belong to another person? Not even a person,_ he thought bitterly. Stefan had proved that he was at least decent, a fact that he would rather die for than admit out loud. But he could at least acknowledge in the privacy of his thoughts that Stefan could be a lot worse. Renesmee could have ended up with someone else completely, someone far more heinous that Stefan.

As much as it killed him to even consider his imprint loving someone else, he knew that he would do it for her. His heart ached at the idea of it, but part of his mind was saying something else.

_Be what she needs you to be. Obey. _

He would have to support her and be there for her, ready to be whatever she needed him to be. That was, after all, the idea of the imprinting. To be whatever she needed him to be, whether it was a friend, a brother, or a mate. He would live forever in this world, right beside her – but as a friend. _Could he live with just being her friend? Her older brother figure?_

He wasn't sure he could live that. He had made up his mind. Life hadn't kept them together this long to just fall apart. He would fight for her.

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That afternoon, Jacob and Stefan still hadn't returned, and there was no sign of Damon anywhere. The rest of her family and the Denali coven had gone for a hunting trip to ensure that they were at their strongest should a fight ensue.

That left Renesmee home alone with the wolf pack. Seth, Quil, Embry, Collin, and Brady were sitting with her in the large Great Room, all sprawled out on the leather couches, trying to pass the time until a decision was made about Damon.

"So where is everyone else?" she mused, playfully punching Seth on the shoulder. He grinned, shaking his head.

"Well, you know Paul and Sam retired…old balls," he laughed, earning a few more hoots and claps from his pack mates. "Chris, Josh, Ethan, Logan, Sean, Brayden and Noah are all home with Jared," Seth listed off the names of some of the pack's younger boys.

"Yeah, hope Jared has fun with that," Embry snorted, tossing an empty crystal candy dish up in the air, catching it over and over again.

"Carmen will be pissed if you drop that," Renesmee warned him with a chuckle. Embry looked at her briefly before pelting what was surely an expensive piece of crystal across the room to Collin, who caught it mid-air with barely a glance. She just laughed to herself, rolling her eyes.

"Wolf thing," Embry said playfully, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Whatever. You're just jealous you're not half vampire," she teased him back. The boys all snickered loudly at her joke.

"Yeah right," Collin snorted. She gave him a pleading look, and he eventually grinned at her. Collin had been beaten up quite badly by a vampire they had stumbled across on patrol once when he was still very young. It was a fight that he had almost not come out of alive. He had never gotten over the experience, and was the one wolf that was still quite leery around vampires still, even the Cullens.

"Oh Collin, ease up on me," she said. "You only wish you had a best friend like me like Jake does."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Quil piped up from his spot in the armchair. He exchanged a look with his brothers, and Renesmee frowned.

"Explain," she demanded.

"He's sure that you're pretty much done with him," Quil mused nonchalantly.

Renesmee's expression softened. "How can I be done with Jake?" she asked quietly. "He's my best friend."

"Among other things," Brady snorted. Embry leaned over and promptly punched him in the shoulder.

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Quil said quickly, giving Brady a pointed look. The younger boy seemed to cower for a moment under Quil's gaze.

"So I thought you and Jake were in a fight," Collin said. "You go from best friends to not speaking for a few weeks…to best friends again? Weak."

"What do you mean 'weak'?" she snapped. "I never said I wasn't still mad at him."

"You should be," Embry sang, earning a punch on the arm from each side. He had seen inside Jake's mind when they were connected as wolves, and knew all about Jake's adventures at school.

"What are you talking about?" Renesmee asked, sitting up straighter.

"Dangerous territory man," Quil muttered, leaning back in the chair. He folded his hands in anticipation, as if he was getting ready to watch a show. And in a way, he was.

"You can't just forgive him so easily," Embry laughed. Seth shot him an incredulous look from across the room, throwing up his hands.

"Devil's advocate much? Damn, Embry."

Embry just chuckled. "Just don't go all weak on us Nessie. Make him work for it."

"Oh she will," Quil snorted. Renesmee shot him a dirty look, and he gave her an innocent gaze back. Her expression softened, and she shot him one last warning glare before turning her attention back to the group before her.

"I'm just sayin'…" Embry trailed off, en evil grin crossing his mouth. Seth shook his head and covered his face with a pillow.

"You amaze me," he muttered, shaking his pillow covered head.

Renesmee gave an uncomfortable giggle. "What are you guys not telling me?"

The room was silent as they all looked at each other, clearly debating something.

"Is this about imprinting?" she asked suddenly. She whipped her head around to look at Seth, who was notorious for being a horrible secret keeper and a just as bad as a liar.

"Why did you look straight at me?" he gasped in mock surprise.

"Because you cave the easiest. Now spill it. Is that what this is about?"

"Is what?" Quil echoed, trying to throw her off. She gave him a stern glare and continued to argue.

"Did Jake…find this imprint person? At school?" she asked timidly. Maybe _that _was why he was so tense lately. _He must have found this imprint at school and now he's worried how to tell me. Or maybe that was why the kiss was a mistake?_

"Wait," she said, sitting up. "He has found an imprint."

Seth shifted on the leather couch, making it groan beneath him. "Ness, I wouldn't worry yourself about that. Please just…don't worry about it."

"Yeah Ness, you and Jake are buds. Even if he did find his imprint, that doesn't mean anything."

"Isn't that like..a…girlfriend?" she asked, looking at them.

The wolves had gotten themselves in trouble. First, they couldn't go around Jacob's strict Alpha gag order that no one was to tell Renesmee about the imprint, nor were they to go into much detail about it in front of her. That order had been steadfast for years now. Second, they had gotten themselves into a conversation that they _literally could not_ finish without looking like fools.

"Guys?" she prodded, looking at each one of them. Each one of them shifted uncomfortably as they tried to avoid eye contact with Jacob's imprint.

"Ness, don't stress about it. Jake is completely devoted to you no matter what you do, I can promise you that," Quil finally answered. Embry nodded.

"Yeah Ness. He's like..totally whipped over you. You're best friends, I mean…come on, the guy kisses your ass."

Seth glared at Embry. "Backtracking now, are we?"

She looked down at her lap. "I know, and I completely let him down," she said. "He was so mad at me yesterday."

"Yeah, I heard you really handed his ass to him," Seth snorted, ruffling her copper locks. She ducked away, quite annoyed.

"Yeah, and now he hates me."

"He deserved it!" Embry laughed, leaning back in his chair.

As if on cue, Jacob came stomping through the doors of the room they were all in, not making eye contact with anyone. He walked with a slight wince as he was still favoring his hurt shoulder, but he refused to look at any of them as he strode quickly past. He made his way up the steps to the room he was using, and they eventually heard his door slam.

The guys all looked at each other, unsure of what to say. "See? He hates me," she finally said quietly.

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room as they all tried to get over what had just happened. Seth gave her a sympathetic smile, his straight white teeth sparkly. "Aw, Nessie," he said, grasping her around the shoulders.

Embry clicked his tongue as if he was in trouble. "What?" Seth asked, looking at his pack mate.

"I wouldn't touch the Alpha's best friend…might get your ass whooped, boy."

Seth snorted. "Yeah right. Besides…if Jake's not gonna pay attention to Nessie, someone might as well be it," he laughed.

Renesmee laughed at his joke, shaking her head. She quickly gave Seth a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. He had always been one of her best friends besides Jake, and he could always make her smile.

All the boys '_oooh-ed'_ when she did that, and then the room erupted into laugher. "Come on, you guys are babies," she giggled.

Quil tossed a pillow at her and tried to reason with her. "Come on Ness. Jake is just a little jealous, that's all."

She nodded, tucking a few curly tendrils behind her head. "I know. I pissed him off," she said.

Embry nodded. "You got that right. He's just got his panties all twisted up because he caught you up here kissing on that new vamp. You gotta show him what's up."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Embry shrugged. "How would you feel if he kissed someone else?"

Renesmee sat back on the leather couch and crossed her arms. "It's a free country, I don't own him or anything," she maintained. The boys looked at each other discretely, marveling at the _irony_ in her statement.

"You own him and you know it," Collin laughed.

"I do not. I just wanted to live a little. You guys can understand that, can't you?"

"Sure," Seth answered. "But he would still do anything for you."

"I know. But that's not the point. The point is that I've never had a real relationship with a guy before, and that's all I wanted. And you guys won't flirt with me," she teased.

"Yeah, cuz we would be running patrols until we keeled over from exhaustion," Brady laughed

"Whatever. I just…he left me. He rejected me. And even if you guys won't tell me about the imprint thing, I know that's what this is. He found someone else and that's why he said that after he kissed-" She stopped, unsure if Jake had slipped and divulged that little tidbit about their relationship through the pack's mind link.

The look on their faces confirmed that he had. "He told you guys?" she asked.

They all burst into a fit of laughter as her cheeks blushed bright red. "Ulgh, I should have known," she said.

Seth patted her shoulder. "Ness, its okay…trust me. We've seen much...much worse," he said with a wince.

"Yeah, Jake kissing you certainly wasn't the worst thing I've seen in seven years," Collin laughed.

"Guys," she hissed in embarrassment.

"It's okay Ness, we don't mind looking at a VILF," Brady laughed. Quil elbowed him in the side, and the younger boy doubled over with laugher.

"A _vilf_?" she asked slowly, looking at him strangely.

"_Never mind_," Quil said sternly, glaring him.

"Oh god, he didn't just say that…" Seth grumbled, covering his face with his hand.

"What's a 'vilf'?" she pressed, looking at all of them. "Tell me!"

Collin snickered, and Brady cowered while Embry rolled his eyes, promptly reaching on either side of him to smack the boy on the back of head.

"Renesmee, they're joking. A 'vilf' is a joke that we made up in the pack after Seth over there was tripping all over himself after meeting Carmen. We teased him for weeks when she left and we came up with 'vilf'. It means…" he swallowed nervously, looking around. "Vampire I'd Like to Fuck.'

Renesmee looked around at them all in amazement before bursting out laughing. "You guys! That's awful!" She laughed. _Deep down, she was pleased that they thought of her…in that sense. It made her feel almost like a real woman instead of just someone's tag along best friend. _

"Sorry Ness," Seth chuckled, leaning back on the couch. She just rolled her eyes.

"Don't you guys have orders to patrol or something?"

"We're following our orders," Quil said, giving her a wink. She blushed again as Jacob's pack shamelessly flirted with her.

"Yeah, Jake's orders. We're supposed to keep a close watch on you, missy."

"He said that?" she asked. "I thought he would be too mad at me to even care what happened to me."

Seth patted her again. "No, never Nessie. Jake cares about you more than you know. Just give him a break and stop throwing your little romance with Stefan in his face. He just wants you to be happy."

Her heart broke for her best friend, and she felt ten times worse suddenly. Her chest ached at the idea of Jake still wanting to risk everything to protect her, even when they were barely speaking. She had _slapped _him the day before.

"Whatever, you guys, he probably still hates me all the same." she growled, standing up. She playfully pushed their long legs out of the way to walk past.

Quil was the first the laugh this time. "Why don't you upstairs and find out?"

Renesmee gaped at him for a second, and then looked up at the hallway balcony that stretched the length of the large room they were in.

"Maybe I will," she said softly, darting to the steps. She ignored their choruses of 'ooohs' and kissing noises as she made her way up the stairs and down the hall to the room where she knew Jacob was. She cracked open the door to see him in the large bed by himself, the shades drawn and his shoulder propped up on a pillow. There was a nearly empty bottle of Tylenol by the bed, and her chest ached to realize that he still must be in pain from Damon's punch.

He snored softly, signaling that he was fast asleep, although her heart still pounded wildly at the idea of being in the room alone with him – finally.

She frowned as the pull in her chest tightened the closer she stepped closer to where he lay. His long, toffee colored body was stretched out on the bed, his limbs resting on the soft material of the comforter. His steady breathing soon calmed her thrumming heart, and she relaxed even more as she stood beside the bed.

His warm, muscled body called to her. His right side lay empty, just begging for her to walk up and curl herself up into it. She bit her lip, pausing slightly. She knew that her family would be home soon, and they definitely wouldn't be happy to find them in bed together. This would be her only chance.

She crawled slowly onto the bed, slowly and carefully lying down beside him. She molded her body against his warmth, closing her eyes to savor the feeling of his hot skin against hers. It had been too long.

She rested her head on his bare chest, pressing her cheek against the smooth planes of his body. Placing her arm across his stomach, she tried to pull herself as close to his sleeping form as she could.

Relief flooded through her body as she let herself finally give into his pull. She had longed to be close to him for so long that it was almost overwhelming to suddenly be this close to him.

Her mind immediately went to the topic of imprinting; _what wasn't' he telling her? _

She had been instantly worried that he had already found someone. That must have been it. He was afraid to tell her, and that would at least explain why he was so panicked that they kissed.

He had found her, and it was someone else. That was why it was such a huge mistake for them to be together like that. That would also explain why he appeared to have no qualms about being away from her.

She sighed, pressing her face further into his side. "What aren't you telling me, Jake?" she whispered, glancing up at his peaceful face.

Jacob's presence had always been calming to her. She laid her head back down and sighed, soon falling asleep to the peaceful sounds of his breathing.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Their lips pressed together again and again in perfect harmony. Her tongue shyly moved forward against his hot mouth, running along the lines of his lips. Obeying her obvious wish, he opened his lips further to allow her tongue entrance. She tasted him freely, moaning lightly at the feeling of their joined mouths. _

_He moved to hover above her, and she moved her hands to rest against his biceps, showing him with her gift how pleasant it felt to have his full weight against her. It helped ease the tension that was growing in her core. He bit her lip softly, then kissed it where his teeth had been. _

_She thrust her hips against his, sighing softly through their kisses as she felt how much he wanted her. He moved against her pleasantly, eliciting frustrated but excited whimpers from her. She reached up and showed him again how good it felt for them to be like this. _

_Again and again his hips ground against hers, the clothing between them quickly becoming a mutual annoyance. Jacob kissed her swollen lips, moving his mouth down her cheek to her neck, where he gently sucked the skin there. Renesmee pressed one hand to the back of his head to hold him there, and the other she placed on his cheek to show him how much she was enjoying his body against hers. _

_She showed him how right it felt…how she loved the heat…_

_Then she showed him how much frustration she had and just how much she wanted him to relieve it for her. Then she showed him HOW she wanted him to relieve it for her. _

Jacob gasped, his eyes flying open. Sighing in disappointment, he swallowed nervously and shook his head. Sometimes his dreams about Renesmee seemed so real that it was almost cruel.

Suddenly, he was aware that he wasn't the only one in his bed. Looking down, his heart almost beat out of his chest when he saw his imprint in the bed with him, curled up against his side. Her legs were clamped around one of his, and he almost lost his mind when looked there.

_Oh god..her..her womanly bits are on my leg. Oh god…I can feel how warm she is…_his thoughts went wild as he realized the scent of her arousal permeated the room they were in, and he fought to stay in control. Every bone in his body seemed to scream in protest as he lay there, trying to calm himself down. He was lying in bed with her in nothing but a ratty pair of sweatpants – his excitement would be obvious if she woke up.

Then, he noticed that her hand was splayed across his collar bone. He thought a moment. _Did I dream that hot little sequence, or did she…did she show it to me?_

His question was confirmed when his imprint moved her pelvis against his thigh that her legs were clamped around and whimpered slightly.

_I'm going to lose it. I'm going to lose it. _He tried to collect his thoughts and resist the urge to touch her, which wasn't easy by a long shot. Every wolf instinct in his large body was on edge, demanding that he give his mate what she obviously needed – relief from her sexual tension.

_My imprint is obviously horny as hell and I can't even do anything about it. _ He couldn't even touch her until he calmed down, he knew this much. He thought hard about vampires and Damon to get rid of the very obvious physical protrusion on his body that craved her contact as much as she was craving his.

Pain shot through his body as he denied his imprint what she wanted; his body knew it, even if his mind could not acknowledge it, and it was punishing him for it. Biting his lip again, he fought to regain control over his lusty emotions towards her.

A grueling, long half hour later, she had finally calmed down in her sleep and the pictures had slowed. It had been a half hour of sheer torture for Jacob as he watched her wishes play out in his mind through her hand that was on his lower neck.

_If she's in love with him…then why does she seem to want me so much? She can't want him as much as she pretends to…her body can't lie. _

When he calmed down enough, he wrapped his arm around her side and rubbed her back softly where her long sleeved shirt had ridden up in the back. Her marveled at how her skin felt against his callused hands; so soft, yet practically impenetrable.

Renesmee's dream had shown him more than a sliver of the dirty, lust-ridden fantasies he himself had dreamt for years. Her dream had given him hope.

He needed to keep fighting.

She awoke a few minutes later; he could feel her eyelashes flutter open against his chest. He reached over and placed his hand on her cheek without looking down at her. He moved on his side, cradling her smaller body to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She squeezed him back tightly, their bodies saying the 'sorries' that their stubborn mouths wouldn't let them say.

He scooted down, resting his forehead against hers. Her sweet breath blew against his mouth that still ached to claim her once again. Jacob knew that this was wrong; they needed to sit down and discuss what had happened between them, but he knew that now wasn't the time. Instead, he wanted to have a few private moments with her to let his body heal from the wounds he had gotten from leaving her in the first place.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed there together on the bed in the dim bedroom; it could have been minutes, hours, or days. It didn't matter anymore. This was how they were supposed to be.

Eventually, he heard his brothers moving around downstairs, and he was brought back to reality.

"We shouldn't be in here like this," he mumbled against her hair. She didn't reply; she only burrowed closer to him, pressing her cool nose against his neck.

"Ness?"

"I don't care."

He paused, unsure of what to say. "Edward might come up here. They're going to be back soon."

"Let them come."

He sighed, then inhaled her smell again. _God she smells amazing. I still wonder if I smell good to her? Does Stefan smell better than me? Probablly, _he thought bitterly.

"You don't know what you do to me," he mumbled.

"What?"

"You heard me," he sighed. She squeezed him tighter as he began to pull away.

"I'm gonna get in trouble if you father comes home and finds us like this."

"You never used to get in trouble for being with me like this."

"Yeah, well…things are different now Ness."

"How?"

He inhaled the scent of her hair one last time, and then sat up. "They just are." She laid on the bed, feeling quite dejected for a few moments.

She pulled him back down to her, and he obeyed. _Anything to make the pain stay away, _he thought.

As if she was reading his mind, she spoke again. "When I'm with you, nothing hurts anymore."

"Ness.."

"Jake, I don't' care about what anyone else thinks. Can we just stay here like this? I don't care about anyone else right now."

She readjusted their bodies so that he was on his back, and she laid into his side, coiling herself around his side like a cat. He reached around and hugged her closer to his side. _This does feel better._

She began to trace little circles on his bare chest again, laughing when goose bumps appeared there. He closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the feeling of her cool, smooth fingertips on him without enjoying it _too much._

"You make me crazy sometimes," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. She shivered pleasantly; he had to fight once again to make his body behave.

"You make me crazier," she said softly. Suddenly, she lifted her head off his shoulder. "Why can't we just be like this, Jake? Why did you have to ruin everything and run away?"

He stared at her, thrown off by the blunt questions she had just thrown at him. She continued.

"Why did you kiss me if it was a mistake? Why did you just run off like that? You broke my heart," she admitted honestly, her voice cracking with emotion. The innocence rang in her tone, and he winced at the memory of the night before he left. That kiss had haunted his every step since then.

"Are you just friends with me because of my mom? Is that it? Do you just want to be close to her?"

She knew she was pushing her limits with that question, but at this point she was going to do anything she had to get an honest answer out of him.

"No," he said, suddenly sitting up. She followed, and soon they were sitting across from each other on the bed.

"Are you in love with someone else?" she prodded softly, looking at him. He dropped his eyes, unsure where she was going with this. His mind instantly went to Carly and the awful thing he had let her do to him at the party. _Did she know? No, she couldn't have. No one knows about that but me._

"Of course not," he huffed, jumping up off the bed. Her hurt eyes followed him across the room. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because you just went off to college and left me. You didn't even look back once. You never even called me. Was there someone else Jake? Is that it?"

His body fought to avoid her question, but she was quickly winning. "No," he grunted through clenched teeth. His body quickly reacted to the lie, and the splitting pain in his head returned for not telling her the truth about Carly. His mind screamed at him to just blurt it out and tell her about the imprint, but his heart knew better.

_Not now, you idiot. She might still be in love with the bloodsucker. Don't ruin this and tell her now. Then you would both be miserable. She would be in love with him, and you would still be in love with her, and you would both be miserable. If she just wants you as a friend, then you have to just be her friend. Give her what she wants, _the other side of him argued.

He had to admit, the logical side of him had a point. If he told her that she was his imprint now, everything would surely be shot to hell. He wasn't' even sure if she loved him; she could very well be in love with Stefan still.

"Did you meet someone at school?" she asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to know now that she had seen his reaction to her question, but it was too late. It was already on the table.

_Had he imprinted on someone else?_

"Answer me."

He folded, the ached in his chest quickly doubling. Jacob began to panic as his resolve crumbled, the mysterious Quileute magic that had caused him to imprint begin it's tedious, bone crushing pull on his chest. The urge to give in and tell her what she was asking was literally excruciating to ignore.

"I…I met a girl and…we…I didn't even care about her, Ness."

"What?" she asked, standing up quickly. "What did you do with her?"

"That's none of your business!" he snapped at her. Her eyes suddenly went wide with rage.

"Did you sleep with her?"

Jacob balked at his confession. Part of him was mortified that he had actually admitted what he did out loud, but a part of him was relieved that the guilt wouldn't be eating at him anymore. That part of him was glad to not have to hide what had happened anymore. The other half…was more sensible.

"Renesmee Cullen, that is really none of your business, and I…argh," he gasped, grasping his aching head. "No! No, okay, I didn't. But we…I…other stuff happened and I…"

She had heard enough.

"You know what? I'm sick of this. I'm sick of you, and of my father, and the rest of my family being so overprotective of me when clearly _you_ are the one that is fucked up, Jake."

"What?" he asked, wincing at the pain shooting through him. _Note to self…never argue with imprint. Pain ensues._

"Ness, please don't-"

"No! And to think – I came up here to forgive you and be nice to you. Glad I didn't get that far!"

His jaw dropped open at her confession. _Me and my fucking miserable mouth. _He sat there, dumbfounded, while silently cursing the imprint magic for making him finally cave and answer her question.

"I'm so sick of you being all holier than thou on me when really you're the one that's the fool, Jake. You're an ass, you know that? You can't just use your best friend like that. I cared about you – I cried for you for days. And the whole time, your stupid ass is at college doing god knows what with some girl…well you can just go back to college and go back to her, because I don't want you."

She spun on her heel and out of the room, leaving him standing there flabbergasted and in pain. Her words might as well have been a knife slicing through his chest.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob watched with grinding teeth as Renesmee made her earlier statement about not wanting him crystal clear.

"Do you want to join me for a walk?" he could hear her ask Stefan in the kitchen. He was sitting in the large Great Room with his pack, and they were debating going out for a patrol later. Their sensitive ears could hear every bit of the conversation. Jacob bit back a warning growl.

"Um, sure," he said slowly, obviously confused. Quil shifted nervously in his seat, and they all avoided Jacob's burning gaze. Embry raised his eyebrows as the car magazine Jacob was holding began to shake from his trembling hands, but said nothing.

"Renesmee," Bella said in a warning voice.

"What now?" Renesmee challenged back. Jacob could hear Bella swallow a bit nervously, but she said nothing. A pin could have dropped in the living room where the wolf pack sat, unmoving and listening.

"We could just maybe go on a quick hunt before it gets too dark," Stefan offered to Bella. There was a few seconds of awkward silence, and then they heard the door slam as Renesmee as Stefan left.

Quil exhaled softly, earning a glare from Jacob. "What?" he asked. Jacob shook his head and looked back down at his magazine.

"We're all patrolling later. Don't get too comfortable."

"What are we patrolling for?" Collin asked with a shrug. "The new bloodsucker asked us not to kill him. What are we going to do? Drag him back by his ankle?"

Jacob growled, tossing the magazine down onto the coffee table. "We're going to make sure he's not in the area. I don't want him surprising us like that again."

"So if we find him are we going to kill him?"

"No."

The rest of the pack's eyes all met as they looked around their makeshift circle at one another, none of them sure what to say. They all knew not to mess with their Alpha when he was in a mood like this.

With a snort, Jacob yanked the magazine back off the table and opened it, trying to focus his eyes long enough to read. Quil relaxed back on the large leather couch, making it groan and squeak. Jacob's eyes lifted to look at him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, scratching his ear awkwardly.

"When are we patrolling?" Seth asked. He smiled sheepishly as Carmen flounced by on her way in from the garage.

"Hola Seth," she trilled, flashing her teeth as she walked by. Collin made a face at Seth as Seth grinned.

"You have an imprint dude," Collin hissed at him, punching him in the shoulder. Seth laughed and held up his hands.

"So? I can still appreciate…from afar," he laughed. Jacob rolled his eyes. Seth had always had a large, harmless crush on the Spanish matriarch of the Denalis. They all thought it was hilarious, especially Eleazar, and they teased him about it relentlessly.

"Whatever man…crushing on a vampire?" Collin asked, shaking his head.

"Don't hate," Embry joined in. "Seth's always had a thing for hot moms," he said.

Seth laughed and gave them all a shrug. He had always had a thing for older women, he wasn't sure why.

"Oooh, Seth loves the ladies!" Quil snorted.

"And the ladies love me!" he shot back.

Jacob looked up over his magazine, giving them a stern glare. "Shut up," he grumbled.

"Can't wait for tonight," Embry coughed.

The five of them exchanged glances while Jake read, obviously annoyed. When their Alpha was perturbed, he usually dealt with it by patrolling incessantly, and that included everyone. They weren't especially looking forward to having their minds linked on a night like this; they knew Jacob's mind would be flooded with jealous, vengeful thoughts about Stefan.

Quil rolled his eyes at the wrong time, as did Collin. Jacob growled, tossing the magazine back down on the coffee table.

"You two – go," he commanded in his Alpha voice. Quil and Collin both shot him incredulous looks, and Jacob eyed them warningly.

"Where are we going!" Collin whined, standing up. Jacob glanced out the door where Renesmee and Stefan had disappeared.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," he snapped. Collin started to protest, but Quil yanked him by his arm towards the back door of the house.

"No use," he muttered to Collin.

No, this would certainly not go well at all.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked Stefan a few minutes later. They were walking slowly, side by side across a moon lit tundra in the Denali Forest Reserve. They had nearly gorged themselves on mule deer after their brief run, and currently the rest of the herd was dancing around the outskirts of the plain, debating with themselves if it was safe to return or not.

Stefan eyed the tree line of the open space where Quil and Collin paced along beside them, several hundred yards away.

"Can they hear us?" he asked. Renesmee rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Yes."

Stefan sighed. "What did you want to accomplish exactly by bringing me out here?"

"I just wanted to talk."

"About?" he prodded.

She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tried to sort out her thoughts. Jake had made it clear earlier in his bedroom that he had moved on from her with some girl from school. She hadn't even thought to ask if it was the same girl as the 'imprint' person, so she was still a little unclear on that.

"I just wanted to get away from the house for awhile and be alone with you," she said. "These past few days have been crazy."

"That's an understatement."

She stopped walking, pulling him around to face her. "Stefan, look. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…I've been acting like a crazy person. I never mean to hurt you, Stefan."

"So do you still have feelings for me or not?" He asked, cutting to the chase.

She shifted her weight nervously. "Well, of course I do. I would never lie about that."

"But Jacob being here changes things."

She shrugged. "I guess so. I mean…he's my best friend Stefan. I can't deny that…but he doesn't want me the same way I want him."

"So you want me to be your second choice? Your backup? Your stand by in case he decides he really doesn't want you?"

"He already said he doesn't, Stefan."

He looked at her, then glanced up when he heard a warning growl echoing from the trees several hundred miles away. She looked across the snowy tundra, calling back with her own warning growl.

"Shut up, Quil," she snarled, turning back to Stefan. The chocolate colored wolf cowered further away into the woods.

"I still have feelings for you, Stefan. And if that makes things messy, then..so be it. I've been alone and upset for too long to just throw you away. Besides…I know how that feels, and I could never do that to someone else – especially you."

He thought a moment, staying quiet. When he was really honest with himself, he was mad at Renesmee. He was angry with her for running back to Jacob as if he hadn't hurt her the way she had described. She hadn't gone into great detail about what had happened between them, but he knew that it had to have been something bad.

She had forgiven him quite quickly in his mind. He could smell the dog on her right now, even. His eyes hadn't missed the way she had grasped his fur in the woods and then acted upset when he was hurt.

However, the possibility of a long and lonely life as a vampire without a mate loomed at the forefront of his mind, daunting and solitary. He didn't want to risk that. Stefan knew that he would wait for her, no matter how long it took.

The thought of spending the rest of eternity on this earth by himself scared him more than anything.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

*whew*! I gotcha there for a second didn't I? You thought she was going to forgive Jacob didn't you?

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want people to understand that just because Jake is in town, she's not going to forget how Stefan makes her feel, and vice versa. She's one torn chick at the moment.

**If you have a question, please either review and ask it, or go to the FORUM I created on my profile to ask it. **

Also, a big thank you to my beta, **Rain-It-Shall**…she kicks ass with her beta-ing, and you should all go check out her stories! She writes a lovely Edward, and her one shots especially are divine : )

I have tried to respond to EVERYONE who has reviewed – however- if you are an anon review (which is fine, I love you all! Violet! ) just realize that I can't respond to you like I can people who are logged in. Also, a few of you have PM-ing disabled, so when I go to respond to your reviews I cannot. Just didn't want you to think you were being ignored.

Big shout out to my new reviewers! Thank you for joining in on the fun! : )


	28. In the middle of the night,

If I don't need you, then why does your name resound in my head?

I don't know why you're so far away  
I hope I love you all my life  
I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
If I'm not made for you, then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
'Cause I miss your body and soul so strong  
That it takes my breath away

If You're Not The One – Daniel Bedingfield

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Author's Note: One word, then read:

Damon.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

He moved through the forest as quickly as his steely, swift legs would take him. He conveniently lifted a car from one of his meals in Seattle, which was a sleek little Audi that had been parked on the outskirts of Anchorage. It didn't really bother him to steal from the humans he fed from; in his mind, he was a _much_ more important creature than a pathetic little human.

_Guilt _was a word that was no longer in his vocabulary.

The past two years had flown by in a useless blur of feeding, getting used to living mainly at night, stealing things, and figuring out how to properly use his gift.

He had been too concerned with hunting and feeding the first few weeks to even begin to think about learning to use his talent. When the thirst had finally become manageable, he had quickly figured out a few things.

First, he had zero interest in staying in Denali. That was all fine for Stefan, who was practically complacent with the whole idea. Damon, however, was not. Running around on a snowy tundra and chasing after sea cows in the icy black ocean was not his idea of a proper way to spend eternity. Especially as a vampire.

Second, he was pretty pissed that his brother had gone ahead and made the assumption that he wanted to be a vampire in the first place. Damon had been so badly injured from being hit by the car after the bar fight that he hadn't been awake enough to realize what was going on until Tanya had administered her life-altering bite.

He had left quickly after figuring out a little about his talent. He knew that the coven's leader, Eleazar, had a gift for seeing the gifts of other vampires, and Damon wasn't sure that he wanted anyone to know what he was capable of – yet.

After leaving his brother in Alaska, he had spent a year criss-crossing across the continent, trying to decide how he was going to be spending the majority of his time. He ended up taking some chances he probably shouldn't have. Eventually, another rogue vampire like himself had caught him outside of Boston one night and told him that there were consequences for acting as he was.

That rang a bell somewhere in Damon's mind. He remembered reading Eleazar's journal from his first few years of life, something about the _Volturi_. This group had fascinated him from the start.

A group of vampires who basically ruled like royalty and didn't accept any excuses. They ruled with absolute power and dignity, placing themselves high above all others.

He had immediately thought, _where do I sign up?_

That had been his original idea. He had gone to Italy, found Volterra, and completed half of his plot. Aro had promised him a chance if he could just get one thing for him, and one thing only. Something that Eleazar's friends, the Cullens, had in their possession.

Aro hadn't said what it was, but Damon was instantly intrigued. It was like a tryout- an audition of sorts. He had come back to Alaska right away, determined to please the powerful head vampire and earn a spot of power to use indefinitely.

That had been his plan, at least.

When he stumbled upon the girl in the woods, he had been confused. Her skin slightly shimmered, not all that different from his own. She moved with the speed and grace of a vampire, yet she had human eyes and a strange sounding heartbeat. Blood ran through her veins, although she didn't smell like she would be good for a meal…she just smelled good, period.

_Aro, you sly bastard, _he had thought to himself. It had been clear right away that this creature was what he had desired.

Yet, when he was faced with the option of taking the one thing that Aro clearly wanted, he found himself hesitating. This beautiful creature, this girl…her long, coppery curls hanging around her like a halo, and her wide, innocent brown eyes that had been large and scared when she saw him. Something about her made him stop.

_Well, something about her and then maybe the giant dog had something to do with it_, he thought bitterly. He growled to himself as he looked at his shoulder that the huge animal had tried to take a chunk out of.

_Stupid mutt._

Once he found and uncovered the car he had stolen, he jumped in, revving the engine. The Audi purred beneath him, and he smiled smugly to himself as he pulled out of the lot. He was heading back to Denali to make some new friends.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Meanwhile, Jacob was still pouting about Renesmee's words that still hung in his ears.

_I don't want you._

He swore at himself mentally, completely berating himself for fooling around with Carly and for getting drunk in the first place. Carly didn't mean anything to him one bit, he knew that. She was nice, she was sweet, and she would be happy with someone else. If she was a drop of water, Renesmee was the sea.

_I'm a fucking moron._

Rolling his eyes, he trudged back up to the house after phasing. He had made his pack follow Renesmee and Stefan on their 'walk' earlier, and was relieved to find out through their report that nothing had happened between them. They had simply talked.

He had sat at home, sulking like a child while she was out with him, but he couldn't help it. She may as well have killed him with a sentence like that.

_I don't want you._

He walked in the house and was relieved to see only Bella sitting there in the Great Room, curled up in a blanket with a thick book. He smiled at his friend and wasted no time plopping down beside her on the leather couch.

"I thought vampires don't get cold?" he asked her, motioning to the thick fleece blanket covering her legs. She just shrugged.

"Habit."

He smiled weakly, his eyes falling on the stairs. "Renesmee up there?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes…Stefan is in his own room."

"I didn't ask."

"I didn't say you did, Jake," she said, lowering her nose back into her book. He snorted and reached for her hand. She gave it to him, not taking her eyes off the text in front of her.

"This is still weird, you know," he mused, looking at her feminine but stony fingers. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Well we have awhile to get used to it, don't we?" she asked.

He snorted again to himself. "Your daughter might kill me first. I think I'm going to die of a broken heart, Bells."

She looked at him sympathetically. "Jake, no you won't. It will all be fine, you'll see."

Jacob gave her an annoyed look. "Just because you're a vamp now doesn't mean you automatically know everything. Don't go all Alice on me now."

Bella laughed and shook her head, lowering her book. "Jake, come on...Renesmee can't live without you. She tried – and even with you-know-who here to distract her, you were still on her mind. It doesn't take Edward's talent for me to know that," she whispered to him.

"What is she thinking?" Jacob asked softly.

Bella shook her head. "I don't know."

"What?" he asked in amazement. "What do you mean?"

"I have my shield over her….it's for her own good…."

"For how long?"

"Right after we found her in the woods."

"Oh," he said softly.

He thought a moment. "Why did you even let her go out with that guy? He's a vampire, Bella, shit!"

She laughed and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "And you're a werewolf!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well…."

She looked at him sternly, lowering her voice. "Jake, she'll pick you. I have to let my teenage daughter live a little. I knew she was in love with you the whole time."

"What?"

"Of course, Jake. It's just that…I had to let her live a little. Experience something normal for a teenage girl. I...you have to forgive me. I never in a million years thought it would go this far. You're not mad at me, right?

Jacob sighed, glaring at her sideways. Bella was still in many ways his best friend, and he couldn't stay angry with her for long.

"No, I …I just want what's best for her. And a vampire isn't it!"

"Jake….You have to trust me – everything will all work out in the end. Look at my life! Remember that whole mess? I got my happy ending, and every fiber of my being believes that you will too," she said softly, reaching her icy hand over to stroke his hot forearm.

He wrinkled his nose and sighed. "Sure sure…It's just annoying to see her hanging around him, smelling like him…she told me today she doesn't want me."

"She's angry."

"Whatever, she's being a brat."

"You hurt her feelings, Jake. She told me what happened."

Jacob could feel his cheeks slightly redden as he realized that Bella knew what he had done at school with Carly. "Are you mad?"

Bella shook her head. "You're frozen as teenager, or something. I know that's hard. Trust me. But you're gonna make mistakes, everyone does."

"I'm just embarrassed that you know…you're…you could be like my mother-in-law someday," he whispered with a laugh. "Well, if your daughter doesn't kill me first. Or if she runs away with some silly vampire."

Bella rolled her golden eyes. "Yeah, those silly vampires."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee sat up in her room later that evening, still fuming. Her mother had gone out for a run with the entire pack of wolves, including Jacob, and she would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't a little jealous. She had always been slightly envious of Bella and Jacob's relationship, no matter how she looked at it.

_Okay, so pretty much everything irritates me right now._

She was irate. Her body felt like it was a volcano, boiling and festering with pent up aggression and annoyance ready to explode. Jacob sending his little flunkies to baby-sit her on her walk with Stefan had been the last straw. Well, that and finding out that he had been doing something with another girl at school. Did it matter anymore? Her shaking hands and twisted up stomach certainly thought so.

She was tired of being protected and watched over like a china doll. She was half _vampire. _

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, her body bounced a few times as the mattress settled. Turning her head to the side, she thought carefully about what she had just thought in her head.

_Vampire. I am half vampire. They treat me like a human baby. But I'm a vampire…I drink blood, and I like it. I can move as fast and silent as the wind…I'm dangerous. I could kill people. I'm a stealthy huntress and a threat to everything around me, besides my family. I am a vampire._

The words sunk in, and she smiled to herself as something inside her mind clicked. She was done being treated like a feeble little human who had no control. She was tired being in the backseat. From now on, she was taking the wheel.

_I'm not a little baby anymore. _

Her mind wandered back to the woods where she had seen the pair of red, glittering eyes from her dream. She had to admit – they weren't as scary as she remembered. They were almost…exciting. Intoxicating. New.

She absently twirled a coppery curl of long hair around her finger as she thought about Stefan's brother, Damon. He had a definite dangerous air about him, but it was also enthralling. He seemed like the type of person who could go anywhere and do anything, all at the drop of a hat!

_Listen to me…dreaming about some vampire I barely know. Well…he is Stefan's brother. He couldn't be all bad…right?_

Staring out at the snowy lawn, her eyes began to glaze over as Damon's pale, well sculpted face came to the front of her mind. Stefan said he had been gone for almost two years. Where had he been? What had he done? What had he seen? The possibilities boggled her mind.

Renesmee knew how vampires were, especially rogue ones. They had the speed, the smarts, and the know how to live life to the fullest, and at any cost. They could literally manage to do anything they wanted to do. Travel the globe? Done. Sneak into the ultra exclusive Hollywood parties? Sure. Drive expensive fast cars without getting caught? Why not. Go anywhere and do anything? Okay. Her mind reeled with possibilities of what the reprobate vampire could have been up to the past two years.

Why was he so interesting to her? Was it his good looks? His mysterious two years that he had been gone? She wasn't sure. Regardless, her curiosity had been piqued. She felt awful that he and Jacob had gotten into a fight. It was the first real, serious fight that she had ever seen Jacob get into, and it had been terrifying. She knew that he was an excellent fighter. He was, after all, the pack leader for a reason.

Biting her lip, she continued to gaze outside at the snowy winter wonderland. She vaguely wondered how much longer they would be staying up there with the Denalis. Downstairs, she could hear the clan talking and laughing over a silly game with her aunts and uncles. Even their laughter annoyed her.

_Could anything _not _get on my nerves right now? _

Jake had sent his pack mates after her and Stefan like they were her freaking babysitters, and ever since then Stefan had kept his distance from her. She wasn't sure what annoyed her more: the fact that they had actually spied on her, or that fact that it bothered Stefan so much.

She heard her father's light footsteps as he approached her door. "Renesmee?" he asked. "May I come in?"

She turned around to face the door. "Sure, Dad," she said quietly. She knew she was in too poor a mood to really want to talk about anything with her father, but also knew that he wouldn't take no for an answer.

He ghosted in and shut the door behind him quietly, turning to look at her. "Renesmee…" he began softly. She crossed her arms and raised her chin defiantly.

"What?" she asked in a challenging tone. Inwardly, she cringed. Once again, she knew she was acting like a child, but her inherited stubbornness would not allow her to give in and act like an adult.

"Renesmee, you know why I'm here," he replied smoothly. His golden eyes stared at her, unblinking. "You're toying with those two young men, and I won't have it any longer," he said.

"Dad, I-"

"No," he stopped her. "I see what you're doing. I can see Stefan's thoughts, Renesmee, as well as Jacob's. You're torturing them both. Stefan has been a gentleman about everything that you've done to him, and you can't take advantage of him any longer. It's not fair to him and you know it. Your mother and I raised you better than that."

She bit her lip as tears sprang to her eyes. She hated it when her father was so right.

"I'm not toying with anyone," she insisted.

Edward snorted. "Renesmee, that's a lie and you know it. You cannot continue to behave like this. You're a full grown woman now, but you certainly aren't acting like one."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

Edward stared at her, making her skin form goose bumps. "You already know the answer to that," he said.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Jacob was gone with his pack and Bella for several hours. When the returned, everyone that could eat wanted to go and do so in the kitchen. Carmen had tried her hand at making grilled cheese sandwiches for the starving boys.

"I can't let my guests go hungry!" She trilled in her Spanish accent.

Seth grinned at her and Collin just rolled his eyes. "Drool a little more, Seth," he muttered. Carmen gave Collin a knowing glance, and the hairs on his arm stood up.

"Why you so negative all the time, Collin?" Carmen asked, her yellow eyes glittering with mischief. She had asked the question in a joking manner, but it still held an inquisitive undertone.

"I'm not," he mumbled, scratching his ear. He looked down at the floor, embarrassed to be at the center of attention suddenly.

"Yeah, Collin," Embry chided playfully, stuffing a whole half a sandwich in his mouth.

"I'm not," Collin defended himself. "Just making fun of Seth is all."

"Yeah yeah," Seth grumbled, spinning in his chair. Carmen rolled her eyes and tried flipping one of the grilled cheeses on the skillet.

"More butter," Embry added, looking up at her. She smiled and used her vampire speed to quickly butter at least eight more pieces of bread.

"You have to admit, watching stuff like that never gets old," Quil laughed. The boys all watched as Carmen prepared another five sandwiches to go onto her frying pan.

Jacob, Collin, Seth, Embry, Quil and Brady were all taking advantage of Carmen's wish to perfect her cooking skills. Jacob had kept them out for hours patrolling for signs of Damon, but to no avail, and now they were famished.

Alice floated into the kitchen with Jasper in tow, her eyes darting around to look at the wolves. Jacob perked up and looked at her. "Anything on your end?" he asked.

Alice pressed her little pink lips together as Jasper rubbed her back reassuringly. She shook her head. "No…I'm sorry, Jacob. He….he confuses me so much! I can't see him…it's like…."

"Like what?" Jasper prodded, looking at her pointedly.

"It's almost like he only lets me see what he wants me to see, you know?"

Jacob shook his head. "No…what do you mean?"

Alice shook her head in frustration again. "I don't know…I'm just talking. I'll keep trying, Jacob, I promise. Why did you have to go and attack him? He might have come peacefully and we could have avoided this whole mess!"

"Alice-"

"No really! Stefan said that he was just…kind of a trouble maker, but not aggressive. Why did you have to go and make him angry?"

Embry snorted and Carmen promptly smacked him with her spatula to signal him to shut up.

"I don't know," Jacob said. "Maybe it had to do with the fact that I caught him out in the woods alone with your niece?" He said. "Maybe that had something to do with my mood swing. Who knows what he would have done?"

Alice rolled her eyes again and huffed in frustration. "Well…either way, I can't see him. He's doing something to make it hard for me to see."

Stefan suddenly appeared in the doorway, and every eye gravitated towards him.

"Did you find anything?" he asked Jacob softly.

Jacob glowered at him from his chair and shook his head once. "Nope."

Stefan lowered his eyes to the floor, and Carmen floated over to pat him lovingly on the shoulder. "We'll find him and bring him back, Stefan," she said.

"No!" Jacob said, slamming his fist down on the countertop. "Why do we want to bring him back so badly?"

"He's my brother!" Stefan said. "The only family I'm allowed to have left!"

"Well if you wouldn't have-"

"I had no choice in the matter!" Stefan suddenly yelled, cutting Jacob off. "It was either this or death! What would you do?"

Jacob was silent, as was everyone else in the kitchen.

Stefan moved closer to Jacob, who stood up. He pushed the stool away and stood almost nose to nose with the vampire in front of him.

"You know, I'll admit I did a pretty stupid thing on my last night as a human. I went out, I got drunk underage, and let my stupid brother talk me into getting into a bar fight with him. But you know what? I never thought I'd get slashed with a glass bottle and practically bleed to death in a dark parking lot. Is that how you would want to die at seventeen? Hmm?" Stefan asked him.

Jacob glowered back at him, his silence confirming his answer. _No. _

Stefan lowered his voice the next time he spoke. "I'm sorry...I just…I didn't want to die. I was so young, and so was Damon. I knew he wouldn't want to die either. I just don't want him to do something stupid and get himself ripped apart. Please don't hurt him…if you do find him…he's my brother, and I know he's probably done some horrible things while he's been away, but please…he's all I have left."

Jacob looked at each one of his pack members, silently acquiescing to Stefan's plead. If they did find him, they wouldn't hurt him.

Carmen continued to cook and they continued to eat in silence. Alice stood in the corner of the kitchen with Jasper, trying to see around whatever block Damon had on her gift.

They were the only ones home - Renesmee was up in her room and Eleazar was in the library reading. The rest of the family had gone out on a patrol for Damon/hunt, and the house was relatively quiet while they all sat and thought about what Stefan had just said.

Everything was quiet, that is, until they heard a car pulling up the drive.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

She heard him before she saw him. Dashing to the window, she sucked in a breath as her eyes laid upon the black sports car as pulling into the Denali house's driveway. She struggled a bit to see through the dark tint of the car, but what she saw was unmistakable.

Damon.

He pulled the car to a halt and got out, letting the engine purr as it waited for his next move. She sucked in another breath as she watched him walk around to the side closest to the house and lean on the hood, his arms crossed. His glittering red eyes immediately flashed up to the window where she stood, her face practically pressed up against the glass.

Her heart pounded as she stood there, their gazes locked. Something flashed through her in that moment - was it need? Excitement? Danger? She wasn't sure.

But suddenly, she realized…she liked it.

Damon was dangerous, mysterious, and potentially lethal, and most importantly unlike anything she had ever known before.

She flashed downstairs where everyone else was looking out the window. Stefan desperately held up his hands to stop the wolf pack from charging out the door and ripping him to pieces. Renesmee barely noticed Jacob's trembling hands as she flung the door open.

It felt like his mysterious eyes were calling to her like a magnet.

Renesmee hit the porch first, followed by Stefan and Jacob on either side of her. The rest of the pack followed with Carmen, Eleazar, Alice, and Jasper. Everyone stood as still as a statue while Renesmee stood there and gaped at the vampire in the driveway, leaning on his expensive sports car.

"Where is Edward? We need to see inside his head!" Jacob hissed at Jasper. Jasper glowered at the vampire standing there, trying to read the emotional vibes coming off of him.

"He's hunting!" Alice whispered frantically. "He won't be back for hours."

Eleazar was the first to walk forward. He frowned at Damon, visibly trying to read his gift.

"Damon, my boy…you've come back to us," he said calmly.

Damon snorted, standing straight up. "Yes, well…thought I'd check up on my brother over there, and…my my, he has been a busy one," he said flatly. His red eyes moved from Stefan back to Eleazar.

"Damon, come inside. I want to talk to you," Stefan said suddenly.

Damon looked at him, squaring his shoulders with Stefan's, who still stood at the bottom of the steps.

"Oh, I don't think so. Not while the dogs are allowed free range of the land," Damon sneered, glowering at the wolf pack that stood on the front porch. Everyone was frozen, waiting to see what he would do.

"Can you see what he can do?" Alice muttered to Eleazar, who was staring at the vampire in his driveway, frowning.

"No...he's...he's shielding me…he's a shield of some sort…."

"What?" Alice hissed in horror. Having a shield for an enemy was certainly not an ideal situation by any means.

"What are you doing back here then?" Stefan asked him. "Damon…just…come inside. We need to talk."

Damon chuckled and crossed his arms again, the leather sleeves of his jacket groaning slightly in protest.

"No, you know, I don't think we have much to talk about, Stefan," Damon said. "You…sentenced me to an endless life of nothingness. I can no longer eat, sleep, go out in the daylight, or even pick up girls the way I used to."

"Damon, it seemed like the right thing to do-"

"No no no no…." Damon growled. "It was the right thing for you. You decided without me that this was what we wanted. And now, Stefan, I'm going to admit – I'm not that happy with the way things have turned out."

"Damon…."

"Go fuck yourself, Stefan," Damon spat. Alice sucked in a breath and looked at Jasper, who was frowning slightly.

Stefan looked at him blankly, clearly baffled and hurt that his brother would speak to him like that. Damon's eyes moved around to everyone on the porch, but stopped when he saw Renesmee. Her heart leaped into action as he watched her, and she swallowed audibly, earning her a few strange looks from her family and friends.

Jacob growled as he listened to his imprint's heart speed up, showing her obvious interest in the vampire standing in the driveway.

"Well well…" Damon said, moving his eyes to hers. A surge of excitement that she couldn't name or place surged through her, straight through to her fingertips. She shuddered, but it felt good.

"Renesmee, is it?" he asked carefully, cocking his head to the side. Jacob started and growled again, but Quil and Seth grabbed both of his arms.

Damon groaned and gave Jacob a mocking glance. "Oh, stifle, pup."

"You leave her out of this!" Jacob snarled from the porch. Renesmee stood on the bottom stair, staring at the vampire not twenty feet in front of her.

Damon looked back at her with a pointed look. "So…as I was _saying_. Renesmee, right?"

She nodded, her tongue suddenly swollen in her throat. She glanced back up at the porch from the corner of her eye, her eyes catching Jacob's rapidly darkening ones. Her breath practically stopped as his nearly pitch black eyes narrowed at hers.

Her head snapped back to meet Damon's, and he grinned at her. "So tell me Renesmee…it seems like they have you under lock and key here, or…so I'm guessing," he purred to her.

Biting her lip, she stared at him, still unable to speak.

Alice growled under her breath, earning another sadistic laugh from Damon's mouth. Stefan stepped forward into the driveway to be the closest to Damon.

"Damon…please just leave her alone, leave her out of this…Renesmee wants nothing to do with you-"

Suddenly, something went off in her mind again. "Wait," she hissed, stepping over to Stefan, grabbing his arm. "Who are you to say that for me?"

Stefan stared at her with his yellow and emerald eyes, clearly confused. "Renesmee…"

"No, I want to know. Who do you think you are?"

"Nessie!" Alice hissed again.

Renesmee whirled around and faced her family. "I'm sick of all of you babysitting me and bullying me into submission. No more! I'm a vampire! You all treat me like I'm this breakable object that you can own, instead of what I really am!"

"Nessie," Jacob growled in his Alpha tone. Her eyes blazed with intensity as they rested on Jacob.

"You," she growled. "You're the worst one!"

"Renesmee!" he repeated, stepping forward. He moved to stand almost next to Stefan as they waited to see what would happen. "Get back up here now!" he commanded.

Her jaw opened in shock a bit as she gaped at him. "You're the worst one of them all, Jacob. Always treating me like a child! Well I have news! I'm not a little baby anymore, and you have no say in what I can or can't do."

Jacob and Stefan stood side by side now, both of them looking at her in amazement.

Damon cleared his throat, and she whirled back around. "You know…I have an offer that might be appealing to you," he said matter –of –factly.

"What?" she breathed, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"I'm taking a little trip, and maybe you'd want to join me," he said.

"Where?" she asked. She barely registered Alice's warning hiss from the front porch, or the wolf pack as they shifted.

"Anywhere you want to go," he said suavely. She sucked in her breath again as excitement and the glorious feeling of danger soared through her veins. Biting her lip, she turned back to look at Stefan and Jacob, then at the rest of her family and friends. Glancing back at Damon, he cocked one of his dark brown eyebrows up at her and she felt her heart start to pound. He had just offered to take her anywhere she wanted.

"You can't pass up an offer like that," he purred, stepping closer.

Renesmee looked at him closely, debating what to do. Try as she did, she couldn't refuse his invitation. She was going.

Like a bolt of lightning, she raced over to the car and Damon threw open the door for her with vampire speed. He paused in front of the car as Jacob lunged for him, but Stefan stopped him.

"No! Don't hurt him!" he gasped, his iron grip holding Jacob back. Jacob turned and snarled in his face.

"Let me go, leech!" he hissed. Stefan held fast, his eyes wide with fear.

"Jacob don't!" Alice warned. Her eyes glazed over as a vision overtook her, and Jasper turned to hold her steady. Eleazar watched on, a terrified Carmen clinging to his side. The wolves all shifted their weight and fidgeted on the porch, waiting for the signal from their Alpha.

"Ness!" he yelled, his voice different. It was almost…desperate.

She looked at him as she stood in the doorway of the car. "What, Jacob?"

He swallowed, trying to figure out what to say. "If you go…."

Damon snorted at him. "Oh, she's going."

"If you go…I…I…." he didn't finish – he only stood there giving her the most pleading look she had ever seen.

"If you touch her Damon, I swear to god…."

"Oh I won't hurt her!" Damon spat, running an icy hand down Renesmee's arm. "Are they always this tightly wound? No wonder you're not having any fun here!" She shivered, but it felt good. Exciting and _good_.

Renesmee quickly sat down in the passenger seat, and Damon slammed the door. A millisecond later, he was in the car beside her. She couldn't stop herself from looking back in the driveway at Jacob's distraught, broken face, and Stefan's pleading eyes.

"It's no fun to be babysat, is it?" Damon cooed, giving her a wink. She shook her head slowly as she sat back in the cool leather seats of the sports car.

"Where are we going?" she hissed under her breath. He smirked and leaned over the gear shift so that they were almost nose to nose.

"We're going anywhere you want to go, I told you...Nessie," he finished, making eye contact with his brother and Jacob before leaning over and brushing his icy lips against her jaw line, then placing a frosty kiss on her pulsing neck. She gasped at the feel of his mouth against her skin, and exhaled shakily as he leaned back over and put the car into gear.

"Let her go," Alice said softly, appearing next to Jacob.

"What? Are you crazy?" Jacob gasped as he watched the car squeal out of the driveway. He threw up his hands in frustration and pulled on his own hair as he watched. "You've got to be kidding me, Alice! We can't just let her go!"

"Damon won't hurt her," Stefan said softly. Jacob whirled around to face him.

"Are you nuts? Have you all gone nuts?"

"I know my brother!" Stefan yelled at him. The two stood toe to toe, very obviously upset.

"You haven't seen him in two years! You have no idea what he's capable of! And you just let Renesmee go with him!"

"He won't hurt her, I told you! I know my brother!"

Jacob whirled around to face Alice. "Alice! We just let her go with the one vampire we've been searching for! He's dangerous!"

Alice shook her head. "I…I can see him now. He's just going to let her get away. I can see it...he's already made up his mind to bring her back unharmed…I didn't think it would be so bad," she said slowly, her eyes glazing over again. She nodded, biting her lip. "Yes…yes…every way shows him bringing her back unharmed. She just…needs to get away. This will make her feel better."

Jacob looked back out at the driveway with a sinking feeling in his stomach. How could they all just let her go?

"Jacob, we have to let her go and do this now! If we don't…I see her rebelling and…it gets even worse. Let her do this now and get it out of her system!"

"Listen to Alice," Jasper added. His eyes looked worried, but he clearly trusted his wife.

"Damon…he can't...he won't do anything Jacob…I…he's not like that, he's-"

"We had to, Jacob," Alice repeated. "Things were only going to get worse for her. Just let her do this. She will come back. I've seen it."

Shaking his head, his heart began to pound and his breathing increased. His pack mates were at his side in a few moments, trying to help him calm himself. He began to pant and blur, his sides quivering as the rage overtook him. Stefan flashed back up to the porch, not wanting to be anywhere near the upset werewolf.

With another gasp of breath, Jacob exploded.

The huge, reddish brown wolf stood in the driveway, panting and pacing in complete frustration and anger, his ears perked up in the direction of the road where she had driven off.

With a disgusted growl aimed at Stefan, he darted off down the driveway.

"Jake, no!" Alice screamed, darting after him. She appeared in front of him, her hand outstretched.

"Stop!" she said firmly. The huge wolf slid to a half crouch in front of her, a warning snarl escaping his lips. Jasper appeared soon after with a Seth in wolf form.

"Don't you snarl at her!" Jasper hissed at him. Jacob felt his rage start to simmer down, and he dropped his wolf head in defeat. Seth panted beside him, his mind actually silent for a moment as they stood there together. Alice looked at Jasper, and the two of them then disappeared back in the direction of the house.

Jacob took a deep breath and phased back, crouching on the crunchy snow. Seth followed, handing him the pair of sweatpants that Carmen had tossed to him just moments before.

"Here," he said softly, shoving them at Jacob.

Jacob glared at him as he pulled them on, his russet face drawn and angry. Seth avoided his gaze, mainly trying to keep his own temper in check. He didn't have much of a short fuse when it came to his anger, but when something did make him upset…watch out.

"What's your problem?" Jacob asked as they began to walk back. Seth just shook his head and looked away.

"Nothin, man…" he muttered, swinging at a low, snow-covered tree branch. He pulled it back, then let it go suddenly, sending a spray of shiny, glittering snow all over the ground behind them.

After a few minutes, Jacob stopped walking. "Seth, spit it out. What's your problem? I'm the one that should be angry right now, I-"

Jacob didn't have time to finish the sentence before Seth's hard, rounded fist connected with his jaw, connecting with a sickening crunch.

"Son of bitch!" Jacob snarled, spitting a mouthful of blood out onto the snow. He looked up at Seth, who was standing there glaring at him. Jacob stood up and scowled at him, then raised his hand to his now throbbing jaw.

"What the fuck, Seth!" he said, spitting up more blood. He had sliced his own tongue with his teeth as the impact of Seth's fist had hit him.

Seth shook his head. "You need to stop being such a little bitch, Jake."

Jacob's jaw dropped. "What?" he asked in amazement. Seth had _never_ spoken to him like that – ever.

"You heard me, Black. I said you need to stop being such a little bitch. You're the Alpha, so start acting like it."

Jacob was stunned.

"I mean, you run around with your tail between your legs – literally and hypothetically. I mean, you practically spend all day whining about your imprint and making the rest of us miserable. Just tell her. Man up and do it – before I do."

"What?" Jacob asked, his voice low and serious.

"You heard me. Gag order be damned – I'll figure out way to do it – you know I will."

"Seth, you-"

"-No, Jake, I swear. It's getting old. Grow up – I don't care if we're frozen as some weird teenage twenty-something's - it's not right to act like you do. Man up and be what your imprint needs you to be."

"You've had an imprint for five minutes! Where the fuck do you get off telling me what to do?"

"Because I'm not completely blinded by anything else Jake. I see it now – I see how it's supposed to be with an imprint, and you have it so fucked up that its' not even funny. You need to be what she needs you to be – that's what it supposed to be."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if she picks him and needs you as a friend, then be her friend. Stop acting like a jealous little girl and pouting for fuck's sake."

Jacob looked at his pack brother with awe. He had barely ever heard Seth swear, and it was even more rare to hear him yell. _He…he _must _mean it. _

Jacob was silent for a moment. "I guess you're right…."

Seth's tan face finally broke into a smile. "It took me jacking you in the face to guess that?"

Jacob just shrugged as they walked back towards the house, Jacob occasionally glancing back toward the main road where Nessie had gone.

"You heard what Alice said – he's going to bring her back. He's gonna bring her back to you. And when she comes back…be what she needs you to be first – friend, protector…maybe some of that other stuff will come later. You never know.

Jacob sighed. "I'm tired of waiting for 'later', Seth."

"Here we go…."

"Sorry, sorry."

Jacob looked over at Seth's now smiling face and couldn't resist the urge to smile himself. "You know, you're really smart when you want to be. And you've got one hell of a right hook, kid."

"Don't make me use it again," Seth laughed, smacking his Alpha on the shoulder.

As they walked back into the house, Jacob gave Stefan, who was standing in the Great Room with Alice and Jasper, a warning glare.

It had one meaning, and one meaning only.

_This isn't over. _

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hmm, what do you think happens next?

Hope you all got your Damon fix =P

And also, WARNING: If Damon is in the chapter, expect shameless flirting, some foul language, lust, some talk of all things tawdry, illegal behavior, inappropriate glances, and general bad boy sexiness. You've been warned. LOL.

Reviews = Updates.

Nuff said.


	29. when I'm in this dream,

What goes around comes around  
Feel it breathin' down heavy on you

You've got bones in your closet  
You've got ghosts in your town  
You can't hide from your demons  
Feel them all lurking around  
You're runnin' scared cause  
You know they're out there  
They're waiting for the sun to go down

Be sure your sins will find you out  
The past will hunt you down  
And return to tell on you

Little Big Town - Bones

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's Note:**

Okay kids…here is a chapter I KNOW you have all been waiting patiently for: Nessie's adventures with Damon. Remember; she doesn't get to go out a lot because she has overprotective parents. He is going to open up a whole new world to her, and she will soon wise up. I get comments all the time about how naïve and childish Nessie is, but I wrote her that way for a reason. Her character really grows in this story, and let's just say Damon is about to teach her a whole lot of things.

I know a lot of you were wondering about his gift, and that is coming. I also know there will be questions regarding the fact that her family just let her go with Damon, but I also try to touch on that here too. Remember; he did live with the Denali clan for a short time after he was changed. His gift had not developed enough for Eleazar to pinpoint much about it before he left. Please also keep in mind that Stefan is his brother, and they were best friends; brotherhood is not something that people just forget easily.

Thank you to my lovely twitter ladies, MimLove4ever and Jarielynn for their creative imput on this chapter – they gave me some great ideas for what should go down! Thank you much! 3

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since she had first heard the sleek, silver car pull up into the driveway. One word echoed in her mind as she looked over the expensive looking interior: _stolen._ She knew that newer vampires, or any vampires for that matter, usually had jobs to pay for something so extravagant. She had learned long ago that most nice things acquired by rogue vampires were definitely stolen. The vehicle she was currently in reeked of it.

Her heart continued to thrum even faster as Damon pulled out onto the main road, the wide tires squealing in protest. They zoomed forward with a jolt, and he looked sideways at her.

"It's not like running, but it'll do," he replied, running his cool white hands over the shiny gear shift. She looked at him, sucking her breath into her throat with a sharp noise. This earned her the first of many crooked, delightfully sinful Damon smiles.

"Scared?" he asked, glancing back at the road. She slammed her foot down on the floor of the car, phantom breaking as they came within inches of ramming into the car in front of them. Shaking her head defiantly, she blinked several times, trying to catch her breath.

"N-no," she finally sputtered out. Being with him alone made a surge of fear race up her spine, but it was unlike anything she had ever felt before; it made her feel so alive and excited she could barely stand it. She was _free. _

He snorted, gripping the steering wheel of the Audi with his hands. She could hear with her delicate ears as the leather and titanium in the steering wheel began to protest under the strength of his fingers.

"So tell me, Nessie," he said, looking back over at her. "Why aren't you scared?"

She bit her lip, glancing over at him through her wave of copper hair. "Because," she said. "Alice said you'd bring me back. She saw it."

Damon laughed again, but this time it wasn't a normal laugh…it was more sinister.

"Yes well…Alice is not the only one with talents now, is she?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Renesmee sunk back further into her seat, a hollow pit forming in her stomach.

Was this all a big mistake?

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

When Edward and Bella finally did return home several hours later, Jacob was relieved to find that they were just as panicked about their daughter leaving as he was. Perhaps even more so.

"I should hope I'm more worried than you would be," Edward snapped, catching the tail end of Jacob's thought. Jacob looked incredulously at Bella, who was pacing at vampire speed in front of the large fireplace of the Denali mansion.

"Jacob…" she said, her voice in a warning tone. She made it clear that she was in no need of his smart mouth, or in this case, his thoughts.

"Would it kill you to shield me again?" he asked her. Then a cocky grin replaced his frown. "Oh, I guess it wouldn't."

"Completely unnecessary, Jacob," Edward practically hissed. Alice stood in the center of the room, her tiny arms crossed over her front as everyone else looked on. Eleazar moved towards the kitchen, a concerned frown on his otherwise perfect face.

"Perhaps we should call Carlisle?"

"That wouldn't do any good," Edward snapped at him. Hurt, the older man put down the phone in his hand.

Edward held up his own hand in a sign of forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Eleazar…You know I didn't mean to be so cross," he said. Eleazar nodded, and then moved to find Carmen on the other side of the room.

"I think Alice is right," she said, her Spanish accent flourishing in the quiet room. "We need to believe her. Damon…he is…he is a troubled boy, but I like to think I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't hurt Nessie!" she said. She looked at Alice and nodded in encouragement.

Alice gave her a pained shrug, and Jasper touched her elbow softly.

"I'm just…I'm just telling you what I saw. In the split second he was here in the driveway, Renesmee debated both things. If she stayed…Then it would have been more trouble for her in the long run. If she went…I just saw that things would be better for her."

"She just needed to get it out of her system?" Edward asked, his tone clearly shocked as he read his sister's un-edited thoughts.

Alice gave another pathetic shrug and slumped against Jasper. Jasper gave Edward a warning glance, and he backed away. Instead of harassing Alice some more, he went to console a very worried looking Bella.

"You're sure Alice?" Bella said her voice low and firm. Alice nodded.

"Bella, trust me. If we let her go and have some…fun," Alice said, tripping over the last word, "then she'll be happier. She just wants to live a little and do some things that normal girls do."

Bella was silent as she mulled it over. Edward stared at his sister as he continued to quickly pick Alice's brain. She concentrated slightly, showing him the different outcomes of Renesmee's choice.

"I…I think she's right," Edward admitted.

"So, what? Now we let her go off with the bloodsucker we were just protecting her from two days ago?" Jacob spat, crossing his arms. Seth shot him a warning look from across the room, and his expression instantly softened.

"I stand by what I said," Stefan finally piped up. His tone was loud and harsh, much more so than anyone in the room was used to.

"Sure you do…you all stick together…"Jacob grumbled, sulking down even lower onto the leather couch. Rosalie, who was standing behind him, swatted him on the back of his head so fast that her hand looked like a blur. Jacob turned around and growled at her, but then settled back down into the leather seat.

"Damon…I told you already. He wouldn't hurt someone who is my friend. He's a vampire but...but he's still my brother."

x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x

"Where are we going?" she asked him after several minutes, the color rising in her cheeks again. Glancing over at him, she jumped a little bit when his crimson eyes met hers.

A slow smile spread over his expression and he chuckled. "That's the beauty of this, Ness. We can go wherever you want." Her heart began to thrum as he called her by her nickname. The name Jake had given her.

"C-can you call me…my name?" She asked suddenly, leaning up in her seat.

Damon cocked an eyebrow at her and gave her a knowing look as the car raced down the snowy highway. "Hit a nerve, did we?"

"NO!" she said quickly. "I just…want to hear you use my real name, not some stupid…little nickname," she said, swallowing hard.

_You're a vampire. You're a vampire…remember that, _her mind chanted at her.

"Fine then. Renesmee it is," he said, turning his attention back to the road. "So…you never told me where you want to go."

"I can really go anywhere?"

He nodded.

"Really?"

"Suuuure," he said slowly, looking at her again. Just his eyes on her made her shiver with excitement. Damon was new, and exciting…and a little dangerous, but she liked it.

"Hmm…" she thought for a moment. "You know, I don't even have a clue where to go now that I'm free."

He laughed. "I guess you never see the scene after the prince tosses the princess on his white horse and gallops away," he mused. She whipped her head up to look at him, biting the corner of her lip carefully.

_He kinda is like the prince that rode in and saved me._

A guilty feeling washed over her as she remembered the looks on Stefan and Jacob's faces when they did finally pull out of the driveway. She loved her family; she knew that was an unchangeable fact. But why did it suddenly feel so good to get away from them for a little while with this exciting new vampire?

"No, you really don't," she admitted. Then her eyes lit up as she got an idea of something she had always wanted to do.

"Idea?" he asked, noticing her expression. She nodded, and stopped herself from using her gift to show him what she wanted. Folding her hands in her lap, she smiled.

"I want to go to Vancouver."

x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x

The drive south to Vancouver was one she knew to be at least 20 hours, even at vampire speed. It probably would have taken a human twice that to drive, especially at the speed limit. They rode along together at top speed, the sleek silver Audi purring beneath them as they flew.

Her mind whirred with questions for the mysterious new vampire. For some reason, she found herself wanting to impress him and make him like her. A lot of vampires had crossed her path throughout her life, however, they were all friends of the Cullen family. Sometimes they were people she hadn't met before, but most of the time it was the same cycle of guests at their home. It felt rude of her to think it was boring, but she couldn't help it. Damon was new and exciting, which absolutely thrilled her.

She turned her head to look at him, blinking several times. The sunlight on the highway bounced off of his skin, shedding rainbows of light all over the interior of the car.

"What if we get pulled over?" she said softly, her brown eyes following prisms of light as they moved on the black leather seats.

Damon smirked at her, playfully patting the dashboard with his shimmering hand. "That's what I have this pretty little girl for," he said. "She wouldn't let us get caught now, would she?"

Renesmee shifted in her seat, biting her lip. "I guess not," she said.

"Nervous?"

She shook her head quickly. "No," she insisted.

Damon snorted a laugh, raking his eyes up and down her body. "That's right…you're not exactly breakable."

"You're right," she admitted. Feeling brave, she thought up a question. "So…why did you come back?"

He looked over at her, swerving past another car on the practically deserted two-lane highway they were on in southern Canada. She gripped the door handle beside her as Damon's skin sparkled like a beacon in the late afternoon sunlight. Normally, her family members avoided traveling in sunny weather at all if possible. If they did do it, they were shrouded head to toe, just in case. They couldn't afford any accidents.

"Why did I come back?" he repeated her question. "Why, why, why…" he mumbled. Cocking and eyebrow, he looked back at the road.

"Stefan is my brother. I couldn't help wonder what he was doing up there in snowball-land with his fellow squirrel-chasing friends."

Renesmee coughed to cover up her laugh. "We don't eat squirrels, you know."

He looked at her, his expression obviously skeptical. "Okay…Bambi, Thumper, etcetera, I get it, what have you. It's all…rather boring to me."

She glanced at him, unable to hide her fascination. "So…you really drink from...h-humans?"

Damon just smiled at her, turning his attention back to the icy road. She watched the speedometer creep back up to 180. It didn't feel like they were going that fast along the nearly empty highway, but she knew speedometers didn't lie.

"What's the point of being a vampire if we can't drink what we're meant to?"

"What's the point of being alive if you're going to do nothing but take life away?"

He glanced at her sideways, his expression turning sour. The muscles in his face turned downwards, showing his displeasure. "I wasn't conscious for that decision to be made. My lovely brother Stefan decided for me, and before I knew what was happening, Tanya administered the bite. I didn't get a choice in the matter," he growled.

"And I did?" She spat back. "I was born like this."

Damon was silent for a moment, and she spoke again. "But…but why are you really back?"

He glanced at her, a smile slowly spreading on his lips. "Well Renesmee, that is for me to know…" he said, placing his icy hand on her thigh. "And for you to find out."

An excited shiver ran up and down her spine as she looked first at his sparkling crimson eyes, then down at the hand on her leg. She had a feeling she was in for the ride of her life, and that her time with Damon would be a completely new experience.

One of which she would soon have.

**x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x**

By the time they rolled into Vancouver, the sun was setting behind a hazy cover of clouds, shedding a dull, blue-gray glow on the city.

"It's so beautiful," she murmured appreciatively as they approached the downtown area. Renesmee had never been to Vancouver, and the idea of a new city to explore chaperon free was intoxicating.

"Where to?" he asked. She whipped her head around to look at him. "You're joking right?"

He shrugged. "Well…I have no reason to. I'm a fun guy, Renesmee, so let's have some fucking _fun."_

She grinned at him widely, rubbing her lips together as she thought. Dozens of possibilities swirled in her mind, and she tried to focus but was finding it increasingly hard to do so.

"I…I want to go out," she said finally, looking back over at him. Damon maneuvered the car though the city streets effortlessly, glancing occasionally over at her.

"Out?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. She nodded, flashing her teeth excitedly.

"Yes. Out."

"Done," he said. "I know a great place we can go."

"You've been here?" she asked giddily, her eyes wide as she stared at the bustling city around her.

He laughed. "Renesmee, I've been just about everywhere. It's been a long two years, and without sleep, or getting tired, or…well…rules at all basically, I've had myself some fun."

"We have rules," Renesmee said suddenly. "Vampires…we…we have rules."

He glanced at her before carefully parking the car. "Oh, Renesmee….tonight…let's agree. No rules. No boundaries, no laws, no telling each other 'no'. Let's just...forget about all that non-fun stuff."

She bit her lip, contemplating his offer. It sure sounded tempting..

"Deal," she said, her eyes flashing with anticipation. It was Damon's turn to smile at her in a dazzling manner. His eyes fell to her body, raking over her another time.

"However…that place I was talking about, well…they have a dress code there and I really think you would enjoy some shopping first anyway," he said.

Renesmee looked down at her usual ensemble: slightly worn, plain black flats, a thin pair of skinny jeans, and of course her normal long sleeved black shirt. Her outfits were usually plain because she hated messing with all that frilly stuff day after day after day. Plain was easy, and comfortable, and…well, effortless.

"I guess you're right," she mumbled, an embarrassed flush rising up in her cheeks.

"I might have a few ideas," Damon purred, reaching over to her. He ran the back of his cool hand down her cheek, giving her a completely dazzling gaze. Her thrumming heart pounded in her ears as she looked at him, her brown eyes wide. Damon smiled, obviously amused by what he could do to her body. It already reacted to him like a fine tuned machine that he had built specifically for his needs.

He reached over her thighs to the glove box, which he flipped open and extracted a small box that she recognized.

"Contacts?"

He smiled devilishly at her as he ripped open the box and popped the contacts into his eyes.

"You wear contacts?" she repeated as he blinked his eyes. He nodded, looking up at her with icy blue eyes.

"You know what they say," he said, tossing the empty box behind him. "You catch more flies with honey than with blood red irises."

He winked at her and stepped out of the car. She followed him onto the bustling city street. It was now almost dark, and the city was starting to come alive. Damon ushered her into a large building that she was relieved to discover was a huge, indoor shopping mall.

"I figured you'd need this place," he said, wrapping an arm casually around her shoulders. Renesmee laughed, throwing her head back to look up at the five plus floors full of stores in the gigantic mall. She felt so wild and free with Damon it was amazing; he never seemed to worry about anything, and that was very nice for a change.

She smiled at him, flashing him her white teeth as he strolled down the busy walkway. Women and men alike all paused to glance at him as he made his way through the crowded shopping center. Not that she could particularly blame them – he was gorgeous after all. Also, he made it look so effortless and casual as he walked, earning stares left and right.

"People are staring," she said, her voice low. A group of teenage girls walked by, all of them giggling and eyeing him. Damon, not one to be unnoticed, indulged them by winking his new, fake blue eyes. A pang of something strange shot through her as she watched him give attention to the other girls. It was…jealousy. "Your eyes are really pretty," Renesmee blurted out suddenly. He turned his attention back to her and a surge of satisfaction covered her green envy.

"Why thank you," he purred, tightening his arm around her. She shivered slightly, pressing her lips together. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to go shopping for something new to wear. More than anything, she wanted to get his attention and keep it.

"First stop!" he said, steering her into the pink store. She gasped, her cheeks instantly turning to match the shade of the interior of the store where they now stood.

"Victoria's Secret?" she gasped, looking around. She had _never _purchased underwear with a man present, and wasn't looking forward to doing so now.

Damon rolled his eyes at her naivety and chuckled. "Well duh, silly!" he said with a mocking tone. "You didn't pack any bags when you hopped in my little silver sports car…" he trailed off.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she looked around the store, and he laughed again. "Just trying to be nice is all."

She glanced around the inside of the scary looking store, wringing her hands together. Normally Alice or Rosalie helped her do this, and it was strange to be shopping without them there. Damon did have a point though; she didn't have any clothes other than what was on her back. Hell, she didn't even think to grab her cell phone or purse.

"You're right," she mumbled, nervously twisting her coppery hair around in her palms. She had it pulled to one side of her neck and was anxiously fiddling with it as she looked around the busy store. Women around them paused every once in awhile to gaze at Damon, who was acting oblivious to them all.

He followed her around as she perused the store, playfully swatting at his chilly hands when he would pick up a racy looking g-string or a see-through lacy bra.

"Damon!" she hissed, covering her mouth with her hand. Glancing around, she was relieved to see that no one was really paying attention to them anymore.

"You're picking boring things up," he whined, gesturing to her arm. She had several pairs non-threatening, butt covering panties thrown over it, along with a plain, black bra.

"What's wrong with these?" she asked, looking down at her selections. He shrugged, giving her an eye roll and a planned yawn.

Renesmee narrowed her eyes as she stalked towards the cash register, determined not to let him change her mind.

Then, she stopped in her tracks. "Damon…I…I don't' have any money!" she gasped, her white hand covering her mouth.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "You're so innocent it's cute…sometimes," he said, the smile fading from his lips. She frowned, turning to face him. His expression bothered her almost as much as his comment had.

"It's only cute sometimes? It's not like I do it on purpose!" she said firmly to him. He swiped his tongue over his bottom lip as he looked at her, obviously thinking about what she had just said.

"Don't you?" he said quietly, too low for the humans around them to hear. Renesmee glanced around the store nervously, hoping that no one was watching Damon glower at her in the center of the Victoria's Secret.

Suddenly, he moved a little too fast for a human, grabbing her wrist and dragging her toward the back of the pink store. Before she knew it, they were locked in a dressing room at the end of the hall, Damon pressing her against the wall.

"Damon-"

"No, just listen," he said, his voice still low. Her enhanced vision could see the venom in his eyes slowly burning through the icy blue contacts that he now donned, and a fearsome chill ran up and down her body.

"I've only known you for a short time, but I have to say; could your parents really have sheltered you this much that you really are this naïve? Wise up, Renesmee. The dippy little act will only fool certain people, and _I'm _not really one of those people. Cut the act – it's getting old. I mean…they must have practically kept you under lock and key to have a seventeen-year-old daughter who acts like she's…she's…six."

Renesmee's breath caught in her throat, and the words slipped out before she knew what had come over her.

"Damon, I'm seven."

His eyes widened a little, then he quickly regained control of himself. She looked at him as a plethora of mixed emotions crossed his face, a common reaction to her age. Then, it looked like he was having an epiphany.

"You're…you're…seven?" he gasped, releasing his hold on her. It hadn't been a tight one, but she hadn't dared move from it. She nodded quickly several times, her breath still caught in her throat.

"Y-yes," she said slowly. "I age fast…well…I did age until I was seven. Now I'm going to start…slowing down until I stop in a few months."

Damon's mouth dropped open slowly, and he stepped back from her. Yanking the curtain to the side, he glanced out into the hallway to make sure no one was near them.

"So you're seven years old and you look like you're seventeen…is there anything else I need to know?" he asked, his voice rushed and quiet.

Renesmee froze. Her gut twisted and turned as she quickly contemplated whether or not to tell him about her gift. Damon seemed harmless. A little scary at times and he asked a lot of questions, but dangerous? She didn't think so…

"No, nothing," she said finally. He glanced at her strangely, and for a second she panicked that he didn't quite believe her.

"Fine then. But seriously…the 'Oh I'm Renesmee and I'm half a vampire who doesn't know anything' act is getting old. Are you going to let people push you around your whole existence?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. She backed up against the dressing room doors, shaking her head 'no', and her brown eyes wide.

"Oh, and enough with the Bambi eyes thing already," he snorted, turning to leave. She gripped the underwear and bra in her small hands, and realized that she had been holding her breath. Damon turned and glanced at her on the way out, his eyes dropping to the material in her hands.

"Oh, and what's with the granny panties?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "32C, right?" he asked. Renesmee balked at him for a moment, her mouth dropping open.

"Uh...ummm…yes."

"Stay right here," he muttered, quickly disappearing.

Renesmee's breath caught in her throat again as she watched him move _way _too fast for a vampire who was in human company. Glancing down at the garments in her hand, she tossed them to the floor and sank down onto the plush little chair provided in the dressing room. She ran her hands through her copper curls, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself after Damon's attack on her innocence.

She was startled when he returned, dangling a few horrifyingly lacy items in front of her face.

"What…what are those?" she asked with a horrified expression. Damon darted his head around the thick curtain of the dressing room, his face mischievous and daunting.

"Why…it's underwear," he said, shaking his head at her. "Tsk tsk Nessie, didn't your mother teach you to say thank you for things?"

She took the skimpy looking material from his hands, holding it up to examine it. "It's practically lacy floss," she huffed, shoving it back at him.

"Don't you want to look all grown up and pretty? Grownups wear…" he handed her a lacy black thong with a matching bra, "…things like these," he replied.

She tried to resist making her brown eyes wide with a tell-tale expression of disgust, but to no avail. Damon snorted and pushed them back at her, making it clear that he was not one to give up easily.

"Please?" he purred, leaning closer to her. She could hear her heart start to race in her chest as he moved in towards her body, closer than she thought he would. His scent swirled in her nose and throat, making it tingle with the new, exotic taste of him. Damon's flavor that filled her nostrils was unlike anything she had smelled before. It was a mixture of masculinity and freshness.

_He smells like…how it smells after a fresh winter snow, and…mint? And…spices…. Yes, exotic spices,_ she thought.

Damon looked at her, his blue eyes sparkling. She shivered again when she thought about the blood red orbs that hid behind the blue shine of the contacts.

"I dare you," he said simply, the leather in his coat groaning as he crossed his arms to look at her.

For some unknown reason, those three little words dug at her like nothing ever had before. It was almost like he was expecting her to say no and chicken out, never one to be up for the game at hand. It bugged her to no end to realize that she would normally talk a good game from a safe distance, but when actually confronted with something new and exciting, she would balk at it.

_I'm done being timid, helpless little Renesmee. I am full grown, I am an adult, a woman…and most importantly, a vampire,_ she thought.

"O-okay I'll t-try them," she stuttered, snatching them out of his hands. Stripping off her top and plain black bra, she tried on the lacy number Damon had picked for her. The bra was much fancier than anything she preferred to ever wear. It had more padding and lace than she thought was really necessary.

"Is it on?" he hissed from the other side of the curtain. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at herself in the mirror in horror. She was standing in the dressing room in her silly jeans and a black lace bra.

"Why?" she asked.

Damon shoved the curtain aside and appeared in front of her, his icy blue, contact covered eyes raking over her pale, white body.

"Renesmee, black lace does suit you," he practically purred. Her heart practically leaped into a speed that would make helicopter blades jealous as he moved toward her like a magnet.

Her mind instantly went to Jacob. _What would he think about this? That would be the ass beating of the century…_

Her words were frozen in her throat as he moved up next to her, his intoxicatingly sweet breath blowing on her face. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes brushing against the tops of her blushing cheeks as she tried to steady both her heartbeat and her breathing. To no avail.

"Looks pretty," he quipped, brushing a quick kiss low on her collar bone. Her eyes flew up to look at him, and was somewhat thrilled to see a bemused smirk on his face.

And that would not be the first time that day she would see a look like that grace his chiseled, beautiful features. He practically paraded himself around the mall that evening, Renesmee trailing a step behind in wonder. Damon was just so…different. Like he didn't have a care in the world, everyone else be damned. People stared at his model-like looks as he strode confidently through the mall, and Renesmee gulped as she thought about how she was actually out with someone like him.

They made several more stops while in the mall. Damon picked out a low cut, tight little black dress for her in Express, and she haphazardly picked out a few pieces of jewelry to go with it. She had grumbled in protest at the shortness and low cut neckline of the little dress, but one dazzling 'please?' from Damon's mouth had quickly coerced her.

When they finally hit a shoe store, she was irked to find out that Damon's taste in women's shoes was a lot like Alice's: the higher and shinier, the better. He had flashed his black MasterCard with what certainly wasn't his name on it, and they had been hers.

"How did you get that?" she asked, her eyes falling on the card as he shoved it back into his wallet.

Damon looked at her sideways, raising an eyebrow as they left the mall.

"You really wanna know?" he asked, an amused look crossing his features. She swallowed nervously but nodded.

"I found it in a park, under a bench," he sneered, opening the car door for her. Renesmee looked at him, giving him a doubtful stare with her brown eyes. She gripped the shopping bags in her hand, her gut wrenching.

"That's a lie," she mumbled to him, glancing around nervously at the people lining the streets.

Damon chuckled, placing his white hands on his hips. "Yes, it is," he snorted. He walked around the driver's side, and the two of them got in.

"Why would you say that then? A lie?" She asked, turning to look at him. Damon glanced at her, sighed, and then turned to face her in the driver's seat.

"Because, little girl, _that_ is the lie that I'm going to tell you to help you not lose any sleep at night."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She shifted uncomfortably as the bouncer glanced at the ID in her hand. It didn't look a thing like her, but the hundred dollar bill Damon just slipped the bouncer had graciously convinced him otherwise.

"You know, you'd pass for a lot older if you'd quit yanking that dress down and relax," he said, too low for human ears. She followed him into the downtown club, her eyes wide as she looked around. They took a seat at the bar, and she tried to remember how to daintily cross her legs like Rosalie had showed her.

Damon looked at her as he sat down, heaving an annoyed sigh. "What?" she asked, glancing at him nervously.

"You know, the nervous little Bambi look is also getting old. Why do you look so scared and full of wonder all the time? It's like we're stuck in a fucking Disney movie," he growled, shaking his head. He nodded at the bartender, who walked over. Renesmee frowned, insulted at his comment, but said nothing.

"Two shots of Patron, and…give this girl a cosmo," he sighed to the man behind the bar.

"What are you doing?" Renesmee hissed at him. Damon laughed, leaning back on the stool. He held out his arms and grinned at her, his white teeth sparkling in the dim light of the club.

"You're out! You're free! Fucking savor it, Renesmee!" he purred, his fresh blue contacts shining.

She looked down at her lap, unsure of what to say. He was right when she thought about it.

"Are you sure I should be drinking?"

Damon laughed, tossing his head back slightly as she shifted uncomfortably. "Renesmee, why wouldn't you drink? If I could still do stuff like this, it would take me about a second to down half of this bar's contents."

She made a face and crossed and uncrossed her ankles, pressing her lips together. "You could have just said yes...no real need to make me feel stupid," she said quietly.

"I'm not making you feel stupid, I'm telling you the truth. Which is more than certain family members of yours have done over the years."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Renesmee, I meant that they've been keeping you from living; exploring; flourishing. They've obviously kept you under a rock and for what?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Did they do it so that you would just randomly jump in a sports car with a potentially dangerous vampire one day? I doubt it. What are they protecting you so much for?"

"I guess you're right. I don't really know why they've kept me so sheltered. I guess it makes them feel better..."

Damon nodded, his eyes widening at her as she thought about it. Suddenly, she felt like she had been cheated out of living her life for all these years.

"Things starting to look a bit more clear?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she mumbled, placing her shiny clutch on top of the bar.

After their awkward talk about the stolen credit card in the car, they had checked into a five star hotel so that she could get changed and ready. The black dress clung to her curves, accentuating her slim waist and medium sized chest. She had swept one side of her hair back, a cascade of copper curls hanging down one side of her face and exposing her creamy white shoulder. Her high heels were tall and silver and sparkly, perfect for a night out – those along with her chunky silver bracelets and earrings, she looked ready for a night on the town. She just wished she felt like it.

"Ah, perfect!" Damon practically purred as the shots were set down in front of them.

"Why did you order one? You can't drink it!" Renesmee laughed. She watched as Damon lifted the small glass of expensive liquid to his nose and sniffed it deeply.

"It's the only human thing that still smells good to me," he admitted. "Everything else smells like rancid shit, but...but this," he said, pushing hers towards her, "this still smells good. Drink."

Renesmee lifted the shot to her nose, sniffing delicately. "What is it?" she asked with a frown.

"Very expensive tequila. I used to love this stuff when I was human. Drink it!" he laughed.

Renesmee glanced around he crowded bar full of laughing, talking, and dancing people. They all had drinks in their hands, and they all looked like they were having fun.

_Maybe if I drink, I'll have fun too,_ she thought. Heaving a sigh, she raised the glass to her lips and slammed it down.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x

And so it begins...Nessie's time with Damon. For everyone who has commented on how bratty/naive/immature she is, remember that was for a reason. Things will happen soon that will change the way she behaves, and the way she sees the world. Her character is still developing, as is Jacob's. They are flawed characters, and will sometimes do things that people don't like or understand. The story is far from over, so never fear.

That said, the fic is now officially caught up to where I have written. I'm still busy at work writing, so never fear. However, reviews would serve as some great motivation : )

Please give Ness some time to get it together - she will, I promise! And I haven't forgotten about Damon's lovely brother, either ; )

*BONUS*

To see both Renesmee's outfit picked out by Damon AND Damon's stolen car, check out my twitpic account!

http:/www(DOT)(SLASH)photos/TwilightCakes


	30. like a million little stars

Your faith is strong  
But I can only fall short for so long  
You will hate that I never gave more to you than half of my heart

But I can't stop loving you with  
Half of my heart  
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you  
That half of my heart won't do

Half of my Heart – John Mayer

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Warning:** There is underage drinking in this chapter. Damon also has a mouth on him, so you never know what he's going to say. You've been warned.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After daintily downing the spicy, foreign tasting liquid, she expected to be disgusted. However, it had the complete opposite effect on her.

"Thoughts?" Damon asked, cocking a perfect black eyebrow at her. Renesmee thought a moment, savoring the taste of the expensive tequila on her sensitive tongue.

"I…I…_love _tequila." She sat up on her barstool as she felt the exotic liquid slide down her throat, warming it as it moved…almost like blood. The warming effect calmed her, while also warming her insides at the same time. Damon handed her a wedge of lime.

"Bite this," he ordered. She felt her stomach flutter as he watched her bite into the citrus fruit. The taste of the lime further enhanced the spicy tequila, making her giggle.

"That's amazing," she admitted, setting it down in the empty shot glass. Damon pushed the fancy looking pink cocktail at her and she grinned sideways at him.

"What's this?" she asked, picking up the martini glass. She had seen pictures of martinis before, but had never actually had one in front of her.

"It's called a Cosmo," Damon admitted sheepishly, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, like on Sex and the City! I borrowed…well…stole those DVDs from Alice once. But then my dad caught me," she admitted sadly. She had only seen a few episodes of the tawdry show where the women had promiscuous sex, then talked about it the next day over fancy cocktails before he had made her give the DVDs back. Frowning, she thought of how irritated she had been to not be able to watch more of the risqué show.

"And?"

"And he made me give them back. I always wanted to watch them though," she admitted.

"Well that's not very nice," he said, watching as she sipped the bright pink drink. Her eyes lit up as she swallowed, only balking a little bit at the taste of the vodka.

"It's good…I can't really taste the alcohol…is there alcohol in this? There is, right?" she asked, tasting it again. Damon nodded, an amused smile gracing his lips.

"It's good vodka, you shouldn't be able to taste much of it," he assured her, his contact clad blue eyes darting around the bar. She watched as his pupils darkened slightly as he looked from one human to another. Following his gaze around the loud bar, she barely even noticed that there were so many humans around her, their hearts beating loudly in the building. All she could focus on was that she was finally out – she was finally free, and no one could tell her what she could or couldn't do. It was invigorating.

"Is it hard?" she asked, glancing at him shyly. He looked at her, his dark irises dropping to the bar and the untouched tequila shot. The music pounded against the walls, and people were dancing, laughing, and talking all around them, but she was oblivious to them all with Damon sitting next to her. He had a magnetic quality to his personality – he scared her slightly and definitely had her on edge, however, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. The women around them definitely noticed him as well. Renesmee rolled her eyes as they all watched him out of the corners of their eyes, talking and giggling about him.

"Is what hard?" he asked, picking up his beer and pretending to take a swig. She smiled, but it was pained. She knew how hard it was for a new vampire to be in a room full of so many people. Taking another sip of her Cosmo, she winced a little at the own burning in her throat that she was just then noticing.

"A little," he admitted guessing what her question was about.

"I bet you wish you could hunt soon-"

"Who says I won't?" he snapped, looking at her quickly. A little _too_ quickly.

"Damon, you can't move like that in front of humans," she chided him, her voice low. Glancing around the bar nervously, no one seemed to have noticed.

"And just why not? I already look like freaking Snow White over here, all pale and ghostly looking. Face it, honey, we don't exactly look human anyway."

"But the rules-"

"Fuck. The. Rules," he growled, turning on his barstool to face her. "You've followed rules your whole life. And where has that gotten you?" he snapped again.

Her eyes fell to the bar, and she gripped the stem of the dainty martini glass a little too tightly. Loosening her fingers, she brushed her hands on her dress, un-wrinkling it as he watched her with his piercing eyes. His eyes captivated her, practically freezing her in her tracks; he was just so beautiful sometimes that it took her breath away. He was even beautiful when his short, newborn tempter got the best of him. She had to admit, he was very different from Stefan.

_He's more wild..unpredictable...unstable,_ she thought.

"I just think we need to be careful," she insisted. Jane's sneering face appeared at the front of her mind, making her shift uncomfortably in her chair. The glowering expression and hideous snarl she had heard come from Jane so many years ago on the battlefield with her family and friends had haunted her dreams her entire life. The image of the satanic looking little vampire coming to get you was no one you soon forgot. Ever.

"Careful for what? You'll never get anywhere in life if you just live in fear. Following ever rule, avoiding any instance of trouble. Not how I would want to spend eternity, anyway," he added in a snide voice.

"Damon, you misunderstood me," she insisted, leaning closer to him. The idea that he was actually angry with her made her very uneasy – she wanted to be on his good side, and she wanted him to like her.

"I understand you perfectly, Renesmee. You're not a hard one for me to figure out."

She recoiled a bit, slightly insulted. "You don't know a thing about me," she snapped, leaning back in her barstool. Damon looked at her sideways, giving a snort.

"Let me try to guess…"

"Why don't you then?" she snapped again. She exhaled shakily, trying to calm herself. Her newfound freedom was already making her do and say things that she normally wouldn't have before, and it was a lot to handle at first.

Damon rolled his head back and laughed, then narrowed his gaze at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair as his strange blue eyes raked over her.

"You live, practically captive in a house full of fake family members…and what I can gather is that that is pretty much a sucky situation for you," he said, his tone sharp and short. "It would appear that they constantly boss you around, which seems like it irritates the shit out of you, yet you sit back and take it. And you have yet to go anywhere, do anything, or experience one new thing so far after being full grown, as you say. How's that working out for you? Am I on the right track here?" he sneered.

"And you have to live with this coven of vampires as only a half vampire, with no talents or gifts, just floating through your life when you could be having fun. You're half human, you don't have to hide and obey all these rules all friggin day," he said.

She looked guiltily down into her drink. Half of what he said was true – minus the part about her not having a gift. She let her eyes quickly dart to her hands, wondering if she should have told him about her special talent. He obviously didn't know, and it would stay that way.

"Are you going to be their little freaky pet forever?" he prodded again.

She gave him her best vampire glower, and he straightened up and looked forward.

"Rub it in, why don't you," she muttered, sipping her drink. Her mood had instantly turned sour.

"I don't want to fight with you, Renesmee, I just want you to open your eyes."

"I've known you for two days. How do I know that? And why should I trust you?"

Damon looked at her, a sultry, seductive expression crossing his perfect features. "You got into my stolen little sports car, didn't you?" he purred in her ear. Leaning back, he took another sexy pretend swig of his beer and she looked back down at her pink Cosmo. When he pushed the second tequila shot that had been for him over in front of her, she gave him a wicked smile before downing it.

If fun was what he wanted her to have, then fun she would have.

"You know, your mood swings are kind of giving me whiplash," she admitted, giggling slightly. She could still feel the tequila sliding down her throat, warming it.

Damon laughed, and she couldn't help but think that it was a little sadistic sounding. She sipped her tangy martini again, swishing the sweet flavor around in her mouth. It was unlike anything she had ever had before, which she liked.

"Yes, well…my newborn temper and mood swings are just one more gift that the vampire gods bestowed upon me.

"It goes away," she said softly. "You'll get better, and it will all get easier."

Damon glanced around the bar full of talking and laughing humans, sighing heavily. "You just don't know what you've got till it's gone I suppose," he said. His face was somber for a moment, then he looked at her slyly and grinned. His white teeth sparkled, even in the dim light of the crowded bar.

"Let's set you up again. Bartender!"

One tequila shot and another Cosmo later, Renesmee stood, albeit slightly wobbly, and made her way to the bathroom. The alcohol coated her stomach and warmed her, giving her a confident air about her that _she liked. _

For once when she walked across the crowded bar towards the ladies room and earned stares on her way there, she didn't cower or hide behind her hair. No, she held her head high, stuck out her chest a bit, and practically strode to the bathroom like it was a freaking catwalk.

Once in the bathroom, she did her business and then moved to the sink to wash her hands. Her eyes fell on several other girls who looked to be in their early twenties – still young, but old enough to be in a club. Wistfully, she looked down at her hands as she rubbed the foamy soap on them.

She wondered what it would be like to have friends. Not wolf pack, adopted family members, and wolf pack girlfriends who talked about her behind her back….but, a friend. A real life _friend. _

"I like your clutch."

Renesmee looked up in the mirror at the group of talking and laughing girls behind her to see what clutch they were talking about. _Any mention of fashion always interested her, even if she didn't always dress up like Alice liked…_

Her eyes widened when she realized that one of the girls was looking at her.

"It's pretty!" she added with a smile at her. Renesmee returned the gesture, rinsing off her hands.

"Thank you," she responded, holding it up. "I just got it today at the Galleria downtown," she admitted.

"I love their stores! We're from outside of the city, and we don't get to shop much," one of the other girls said. Renesmee smiled, her heart fluttering.

_I hope they can't hear that…oh...oh wait...they're human girls and they're talking to me…of course they can't hear my heart racing…wow…this is fun…_

"I feel your pain! I live in the middle of nowhere and good shopping is at least three hours away," Renesmee added with a laugh. Her mind raced with something else to say to the girls to keep them talking to her.

"Uh, I like your purse too. Is it a Prada?" she asked. The blonde girl laughed and held up her shiny black bag.

"I wish! It's a fake," she sighed, then laughed. "Do you ever see any of the real ones? Hardly ever!"

Renesmee tried not to let her confusion show – she wanted desperately to keep talking to these girls, these _normal human girls. _

_Why wouldn't the purse be real? I don't get it, _she thought. However, she merely smiled and continued to make small talk with the group of girls for a few more minutes before excusing herself to go back to Damon. She had been reluctant to leave the bathroom and their company; talking to normal people was so refreshing. The fact that they didn't know she was really a freak made it even better.

Talking to humans had always been tricky for her. She was only half vampire, yet sometimes certain humans would unexplainably get nervous around her, their senses telling them something was off. However, some humans didn't notice it at all. Most of the humans she knew back home knew something was off about her – like Charlie for instance. Bella had caved big time when it came to Charlie and Renesmee. She couldn't stand to keep him away from his granddaughter, and Renesmee missed him when she wasn't supposed to see him.

After a few months of trying to limit their time together, Bella and Edward had agreed that Charlie shouldn't miss out on his only grand daughter's life. He already knew that they were all on a need-to-know basis, and after Jacob had phased in front of him so many years ago, Charlie was aware that something wasn't' quite the same with all of them. He had graciously accepted the fact that he couldn't ask questions about her rapid growth, the fact that Bella looked so different, and the fact that none of them aged anymore. Charlie had taken it all in stride, as did his wife Sue, who knew exactly what she was. Some of the wolves had told their girlfriends what Renesmee was so that they wouldn't be unexplicably afraid of her, however, that had done more harm than good. Jared's girlfriend Kim still wouldn't come within twenty feet of her.

She walked back to the table, her head held high. She wasn't going to worry about any of that tonight.

"Have fun?" he asked when she slid back into her barstool. She grinned, knowing that he probably overheard her conversation.

"It's nice to be normal," she said, glancing at the fresh Cosmo that had been placed in front of her. She felt a little wobbly and strange, but she liked it. She took another drink, savoring the taste of the sweet liquid against her tongue.

Her mind drifted back to Jacob and the pseudo date they had had that summer, before he left when he had taken her to Port Angeles. He had acted as if drinking was such a bad, horrible thing to do. She couldn't quite understand. Sure, she had seen people drunk in the movies before, but she wasn't behaving that way. Why had drinking been such a big deal to him? It was so much _fun._

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Damon hummed, cocking an eyebrow at her. She bit her lip, trying not to smile.

"I hate it when you do that," she mumbled, taking another sip of her drink.

He leaned closer, breathing his fresh scent on her. "Do what?" he asked innocently. She grinned again, turning to look at him.

"Cock your eyebrows and…dazzle me," she admitted, swallowing.

Damon looked at her, his gaze freezing on her pale face and flushed cheeks. He smiled cockily, and stood beside her chair. "Let's dance," he purred, holding out his hand. She exhaled nervously, unsure if she should follow, but agreed once he flashed another very convincing smile at her.

He led her to the dance floor, the music pounding all around them, along with dancing and laughing people. She watched as one couple ground against each other, doing things that frankly, didn't look appropriate to her. Damon gripped her hand in his own icy one, sending more chills up her spine.

_Crap, I am the dorkiest dancer ever, _she thought, her mind slightly panicked as he began to move against her. His hips quickly connected with hers, grinding to the beat of the loud music. She nervously watched the people around her, hoping that no one else noticed how awkwardly she was moving. The alcohol that had given her so much courage earlier was now practically making her sick. It sloshed in her stomach, making her queasier and queasier.

"Don't look at them," he hissed pleasantly in her ear. She met his icy blue eyes, a shiver running down her spine as he gripped her hips with his cool hands.

"I'm not," she said quietly, her eyes darting around the room before she could control them.

He gently grabbed her chin, turning it to face him. "Don't hold back like this. Live, Renesmee. You're an adult, so act like it. Let go of the scared little girl that you love to play so much," he said to her. She bit her lip, nodding in agreement.

"Just listen to the music and fucking dance with me, Renesmee," he said in her ear, his cool breath fannning over her.

A nervous but excited laugh slipped from her lips as he twirled her around to face away from him, pulling her backside into his groin. Renesmee's eyes widened in complete surprise as she felt something against her that she hadn't felt before…

"Come on," he laughed, grinding against her harder. Smiling to herself, she let the alcohol take over and began to move her body in time with both the music and Damon.

"You're a vampire, Renesmee," he whispered to her, his voice too low for the humans to hear. People danced and laughed all around them on the dance floor as they moved together, completely oblivious to the two potentially lethal creatures in their midst.

He ground against her in time with the music, and she was glad for the throbbing bass. She was silently hoping that it disguised her pounding, frantic heart. As they moved to the upbeat music, suddenly a slower, more sensual song came on. It still had a pounding beat, but was slower in rhythm. Damon moved even closer to her, if that was possible, and began to grind against her backside more aggressively. She sucked in her breath, unsure of what she should do.

She had never been this close to a man before, or at least certainly not like this. This was completely new.

"Relax," he purred in her ear. The hairs on her neck stood up at attention, and she sighed as she let her long hair cascade around her shoulders.

_I hope that looked sexy, _she thought with a coy smile. He reached around to her middle, grasping his cool hands around her stomach as he pulled her closer. Renesmee felt the alcohol warming her body as she leaned back against him, resting the back of her head on his shoulder while they danced.

He was right. She had never felt so free before, and it was positively amazing. She literally felt like she could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone…the possibilities with Damon were endless. When she thought about it, she wasn't sure if she was drunk off the expensive tequila or the freedom Damon had given her.

They moved to the rhythmic music, their stony bodies moving together against the bass. She had never felt more alive than she did right now, grinding and moving against his cold body.

"You feel…amazing," he growled, sensually yanking her hair to one side of her neck. He pressed his mouth to the base of her neck, just above her shoulder, and ever so lightly scraped his teeth against her stony flesh.

"Oh!' she gasped, moving against him even closer. Damon laughed, his voice low and throaty as they both listened to her heart flutter and take off like a helicopter.

"I've never danced like this…before," she gasped, turning around to face him as a new song came on.

Damon looked at her, his eyes sparkling with electricity that made her tingle all over. "Really?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. He ran his hands down the sides of her ribcage and stomach, letting them drop down and cup her ass. "Because your body feels like you've done this before," he finished.

She sucked in another breath, not sure what she should do. Her heart was pounding and she knew that this was entirely inappropriate; she barely knew him! Six months ago, she would have connected her tiny iron fist with his jaw, sending him flying across the room. But now…she was misbehaving and she liked it.

x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

"I'm still irate with you three; I hope you realize that," Edward spat.

Emmett looked like he wanted the couch to collapse and suck him into it, shielding him from Edward. Jasper looked guiltily at Alice, who stood strong in the middle of the room, her tiny arms still crossed. Jacob noted that she had been like that almost all day.

"It's been a day," Edward fumed, pulling at his hair.

"She's fine," Alice growled. She tapped the side of her head and raised a black eyebrow at her brother. "I'm watching her, remember?"

"With what, your half sight? You can't see Damon like you should be able to! How should that make me feel any better?"

Jacob grunted in agreement with Edward, who simply tossed him an annoyed scowl.

Alice growled in warning, and Jasper inched closer to her side. "I know what I saw, and if I thought she was in danger I'd go protect her myself."

"How would you know she was in trouble Alice?" Edward snapped. Jacob watched as he grabbed at his bronzed locks again and again, running his frustrated fists through them. He didn't think he had ever seen Edward's hair so wild and untamed looking.

_It's like his hair matches my mood, _Jacob thought to himself. He watched as Edward continued to pace and berate his sister for letting his daughter go. He had been tempted to join him in the process, but Edward was doing fine chastising her by himself.

"Edward, she's my niece. Do you think I'd put her in danger?"

"She's not here, Alice," he said, whipping around. "So yes, she is in danger, and no, I can't believe you let her go!"

"Why won't you trust me on this Edward?" she snapped. "I'm insulted that you think I would put your daughter in that kind of danger just to prove a point!"

"You'd better be right," Edward growled.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-

"Dos mas tequila, por favor!" She giggled and slurred. Damon glanced at her sideways, and then nodded at the bartender.

"You know, if I was a human I would have drunk you under the table by now," he said slyly, poking her side.

"But you're noooot," she sang, twirling on her barstool. They had moved from the loud club to the all-night Mexican restaurant several blocks down so that Renesmee could still have her fancy tequila minus the loud music.

"But these people don't know that," Damon sang back at her, winking. She laughed again, downing another shot of the pricy liquid.

"Do we have enough money for me to be drinking all of this?" she asked, eying him.

Damon snorted. "Of course we do. Silly girl," he replied, pinching her cheek. She drunkenly swatted his hand away, frowning when she missed.

"Whoah…that feels weird."

"It should. You're drunk," he said, spinning his bottle of beer in his hands. She watched as he looked at it, his expression somewhat wistful.

"Do you wish you could drink it?" she asked him. He glanced at her, and then back at the bottle in his hands that was merely a prop.

"I do," he murmured, wiping some of the sweat off the glass sides. He held the neck of the beer bottle up to his nose, sniffing it. He wrinkled his face up in disgust.

"Ulgh…how I ever thought that was good…"

She giggled drunkenly again, twirling the shot glass on the top of her finger. Her focus lapsed for a second, sending the glass sailing to the floor where it shattered into pieces.

"You can't hold your liquor very well, can you, Renesmee?" Damon asked, an amused smile dancing on his lips.

"Ooopsie!" she howled, erupting into another bout of laughter. Leaning back in her plastic chair, she tossed her golden curls behind her shoulder, leaning in closer.

"You know…I think you're right. I think I am drunk," she mused.

He leaned closer, mimicking her action. "You know, I think you're right," he added.

"I should stop," she replied, sitting up straight. She pressed her lips together, trying to focus, but she had to admit that she didn't mind her jumbled, slower thoughts. _Things definitely hurt less this way…_

Her mind briefly flickered to Jacob, who was back in Denali. _Did he miss her? Was he angry that she left? _ Well, she knew he was. But that didn't change much. He still didn't want her, and she wasn't meant for him. Even if she did love him with all of her heart, he would still eventually belong to someone else_. After everything…._

She thought about how badly it would hurt to watch Jacob date someone else…kiss someone else…eventually marry someone else. Pangs of resentment and sadness shot through her chest, making her eyes drop down to the table top. _If she couldn't have Jacob, would she end up with Stefan? He certainly was special to her, but was it fair for her to love him with only half of her heart?_

"Oh, I hate it when Nessie is serious," Damon growled playfully. She glared at him, taking another sip of the red margarita in front of her. The nickname that Jacob had given her practically stung her coming from Damon.

"I'm not serious. And my name is Renesmee," she spat. Glaring in the direction of the bar, she was suddenly in a very sour mood.

Damon raised his arm, signaling for two more shots. "So why so glum? Not thinking about that silly mutt, were we?"

Her head whipped too quickly to the side to be human, and she glared at him. "How did you know about that?" she asked. The sudden mention of Jacob from _his _mouth had sent her heart racing.

"I know a lot of things, Renesmee," he said, feigning boredom. He looked around the nearly deserted Mexican restaurant, playing innocent.

"Like what?" she asked softly, her eyes narrowing in on him. He turned to face her, pressing his knees against hers at the table.

"I know your wolfy friend that attacked me the other day has quite the little thing for you," he said.

"How did you know that? You only saw him as a wolf," she argued. He held up his hand to silence her as the waiter brought another round of tequila shots. Damon smiled at her, and she quickly downed them both, barely taking time to savor the expensive liquid.

"Whoah," she slurred, shaking her head slightly. The drinks were really starting to catch up with her now.

"Well," he continued his voice low and raspy. "I…may have stopped by La Push and Forks on my way up to see Stefan in Denali…and I overheard a few things."

"You did?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. Could it be? Could Jacob have the same feelings for her?

"I did," he admitted, pretending to be ashamed of his actions. "I spied," he said with a fake cringe, his blue eyes glittering.

"You spied on my family?" she asked in a whisper, her brown eyes narrowing in on his. She suddenly felt very…protective.

"Well don't get all upset with me!" he said, his expression softening. "I was just…lonely and curious…can you blame me? Eleazar talked about your family all the time, and I just wanted to see what you were all like. He didn't really mention much about the dogs though-"

"They're a Quileute pack," she interjected. Damon rolled his eyes and continued.

"Well, yes…Eleazar did talk about the Cullens a little bit in 'vampire lessons' so you can imagine I was quite surprised to find out that you are all friends with werewolves."

"So?" she prodded. "Why didn't you just come get Stefan and pay us a visit? We would have been happy to have a visitor. We have visitors all the time."

"Really," he said slowly. "What kind?"

"Ummm…" she tried to concentrate, even though the alcohol was making it quite difficult. "Well, the last time there was a war-"

"War?"

"When I was born, the Volturi got all mad and decided to come-"

"They came to Denali?"

"No, I was in Forks," she said, shaking her head. The tequila was making her whole body suddenly very hot, and she felt like she was talking in circles. "But…no, yeah…the Volturi came here. I mean there. Forks," she said.

Damon leaned back in his chair, his voice low. "You don't say."

"It was all a big deal over nothing. They were just mad…I guess…because I was born."

"They show a big interest in you?"

She nodded, suddenly unsure if she should be divulging this information. Damon suddenly looked up, waving at the server for two more shots. When they were placed in front of them, Damon shoved them both towards her.

"Do normal people drink this much?" she asked, downing them both. The tequila went down easy and she really didn't mind it, but she really was starting to feel drunk.

"You've had more than a normal human girl would," he admitted. "But come on. You're an adult, you can handle it," he sang quietly.

She grinned, proud to be doing something so grown up. "Really?"

Damon snorted, picking up his prop-beer again. "You're the one that said you were fully grown, not me."

She sat up straighter in her chair, smiling to herself as she twisted a piece of her hair around her fingers. Daintily, she crossed her long legs, no longer caring if her short black dress rode up too high. She felt alive again.

"I am," she nodded, taking another sip of her drink. "This is soooo good," she slurred slightly, taking another pull from the straw. And another, and another.

"You're fun to go out on the town with, we should do this more often. Lord knows I haven't had this much fun in weeks," he said in his raspy voice, giving her a slight wink. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she grinned at him, stirring the ice in her glass.

"I hate to say it," she said, blinking rather slowly, "but once I come back, I got news…I'll be on full force lockdown for months. Years…Decades!" she giggled.

Damon smiled, reaching out to steady her as she teetered around on her stool.

"Why's that?" he asked, playing devil's advocate. "Why would they keep a full grown girl locked up like a baby?"

She rolled her eyes, motioning for another margarita. "Who knows!" she said loudly, her words slurring again. "I just know I'm going to be grounded for like, a century when I get home!" she laughed. "Sadly, I'm not exaggerating."

"I can see that," Damon replied slowly, rolling his eyes. "So don't ever go home! Stay here with me. We could go anywhere, do anything…"

Renesmee laughed. "Well, that does sound like fun. But I would miss them..my family…and Jacob…"

She turned around slowly, resting her head in her elbows. "I just know Jacob is gonna be so mad at me," she murmured, her eyes falling to the table.

"Jacob?"

"The wolf," she mumbled with a sigh.

"Do you think Jacob misses you?" he asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "I don't know. With my luck, probably not."

"Are you sure?"

"He's my best friend."

"You're this upset over a friend?" he prodded.

She nodded sadly, lifting her head up out of her hands. "I know, right? He makes me crazy…we kissed, and then…then that changed everything…but he _kissed _me, ya know?"

"Oh, so we have a little love triangle going on, do we?" he asked knowingly. Renesmee sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Who knows? I mean…it can't be a love triangle unless there's three people, and I don't even think Jacob wants me like that," she slurred.

"Right…"

"So…he's just like my dad…he might be worse than my dad. Always being so overprotective and…and stupid," she spat. The waiter set a fresh drink down in front of her, and she giggled suddenly. "Bet he would be pissed to come here now and see me drunk!"

Damon chuckled. "You don't seem too upset with the idea."

"I'm not!" she said quickly, her expression pouty. "If he can go to college and do god knows what…then I can have some fun. He can go…go...screw himself."

"That's putting it lightly," Damon said. "So move on! Dump the guy! What's stopping you?

"I don't know," she muttered, slamming her hand down on the table. It shook violently, and he looked up to see if anyone saw.

"I really liked Jacob. He broke my heart…and now…now I'm afraid he met someone else at school, and he won't want me anymore. I think he…I think he really did meet someone else better than me…his imprint or whatever."

"Imprint?"

"it's like a wolfy…soul mate...I think. I don't know, no one tells me anything," she slurred. "I just know that his... 'soul mate' obviously isn't me, so what's the point in liking him? Why should I want someone who doesn't want me?"

"Well I certainly wouldn't waste my time," he said, offering his input.

"You know, you're right! I shouldn't care about him anymore. I shouldn't give a damn. Darn. Oopsie," she giggled, reveling in the feeling of her head being so light and wobbly. She suddenly felt like a bobble head doll, and that only made her want to giggle some more.

"You sure seemed to like Stefan," he prodded again.

She sighed, "Oh god…Stefan. Damon, I've been so horrible to Stefan. He just…he's been great to me, and I haven't done anything but use him."

"Use him? How? You mean you don't care about him at all?"

"That's not what I said," she snapped drunkenly, stirring her drink. "I just…I really like Stefan. He was so good to me for so long. I just…I feel terrible. Stefan means so much to me-"

"But obviously not as much as the dog."

"Jacob!" she slurred, frowning. Her expression softened as she took another sip of her margarita. "I care for Stefan, I really do. I just...I don't think it's the same way I care about Jacob. I love Jacob," she finally said.

"Those are some pretty powerful words for a little girl who jumped in a car and ran away from both of them like they were about to stake you to an anthill naked."

"Well, just because I needed a little get away doesn't mean that I feel any differently," she slurred.

"Sure, sure," he replied, giving her a knowing look.

She glared at him for a moment, and then shook her head. "You know what I mean. I needed to get out of there. I felt like everyone was breathing down my throat to decide what to do, and I just hated that. It's been that way my whole life, but ever since we came up here when Jake left it's gotten ten times worse. I understand that they never thought my mom would be able to have me, but I'm sick of being everyone's plaything," she said.

"Understandable," he reasoned with her. "You are a bit…"

"What?"

"Sheltered. Naïve. Inexperienced. Innocent. Do you need me to keep going, or do you get the picture here?"

She rolled her eyes, downing the other tequila shot. "You know, you can be really annoying sometimes."

"Oh, what? And this little act you put on is any better?"

"What act is this that you keep babbling about?" she snapped. "So I'm not all worldly and experienced – big deal! Isn't that why we're here?"

"I suppose…"

"How would you suggest I 'wise up'? My whole family has been practically breathing down my neck since I was born. Jeez."

"I'm just not used to it I guess," he said. "It's just amazing to look at you…I mean, look at you, Renesmee. Clearly an adult on the outside, but it's like you're…"

"Seven?"

Damon smiled, flashing his white teeth at her. "Well, yes, I guess. It takes some getting used to. I mean, you look like a woman, and you seem pretty smart intellectually, yet you have no 'real world' knowledge whatsoever."

"Does this have a point?" she slurred, glaring at him. The tequila was really starting to take effect, making her feel all loose and funny…almost out of control. She tugged at her black dress, suddenly wanting to pull it down further.

"I guess what I'm asking is, how did you make it this long being so sheltered?"

Renesmee huffed. "Uh, did you happen to SEE how fast I got into your car? I was ready to hit town the minute you rolled into the driveway."

Damon snickered to himself, earning another drunken glare from Renesmee.

"Okay okay. I get it – you're pretty green. Hopefully this weekend will enlighten you."

"How?" Her curiosity was piqued.

"I want to show you what it's like to live as a real vampire…not a silly, wussy, let's pretend to be human vampire. I want you to let loose and do what you want to when you're with me. No rules, no boundaries…just be what you're supposed to be."

"Really?"

He nodded. "You just have to quit sulking about this whole ordeal with my brother and Jacob. I mean…I'm only hearing your side of things, but if that's a sample of what's going on up there in Denali, I was right to leave. You're all a bunch of pathetic whiners with some really stupid problems if you ask me. Everyone just needs to like…relax and stop pretending that your lives are over just because of a stupid fucking love triangle."

Renesmee took another long drag from her drink straw, frowning. "But I do have some real problems," she whined.

"Like what? So you want Jacob and he doesn't want you. How do you even know that?"

"He would have picked me by now," she said miserably. Damon chuckled to himself, an amused expression decorating his chiseled features.

"Can I ask you something?" Renesmee nodded, and he continued. "What is it with that…that one thing you mentioned earlier…"

"Imprint?"

He nodded, raising an eyebrow expectantly. "Oh….I have no idea. I think it's like…their girlfriend? But it has to be more serious than that I guess. Whatever it is, I'm bettering Jacob found her at school, and that's why he doesn't care about me anymore..."

Damon frowned, holding up a hand. "Spare me the dramatics, please," he said. "Why do you think that?"

She thought a moment, the tequila slowing her thought process. "Well…he just disappeared and didn't even act like me missed me. And…and he kissed me and called it a mistake. I guess that means he knew he was going to be with someone else, and that was why kissing me was such a mistake."

"So?" he asked. "So move on to my brother. He'd take you," he added with an eye roll.

"That's not fair to Stefan..."

"Why?"

She thought a moment, and then the tequila spoke. "I…I really do love Jacob. I tried…with Stefan. And I did feel for him, but…"

"But what?"

"But I can't lie to myself anymore…I don't feel the same way about him. Stefan is great, and loyal, and wonderful, and I love kissing him…but sometimes when we're…together," she choked out. "I…I sometimes pretend it's Jake instead."

"Eh, so he's the one who makes you hot in the pants, huh?"

"What?"

"Nothing…eh...continue."

She stared down into her drink, astounded at the confession she had just made to what was practically a stranger. It did feel good though – to let it all out and have it off her mind.

"I really do love him. I mean, Stefan…is Stefan...I don't know," she sighed, blinking several times. The tequila had really gotten to her. "I just don't feel the same way about him that he feels about me, which makes me feel even worse for using him like I did."

"How so?"

"Well…I kiiinda dangled him in front of Jacob…"

Damon laughed and gave her a knowing smile. "Why Renesmee, you're a lot naughtier than I gave you credit for. Toying with my brother and this wolf of yours. What a bad little girl you are," he purred.

Renesmee felt her cheeks get hot, and she shook her head. "No, no…it wasn't good of me. That was really actually quite bitchy of me to do."

Damon snorted. "Sounds good to me."

"I shouldn't have," she admitted quietly, stirring her drink. "That was wrong of me to do, but I was just so angry with him! I couldn't help it when I saw him again….It's just a lot easier to be mean to someone than to tell them that you're sad. Sad that they left, sad that they hurt you, sad that they rejected you…."

"Well, even if you did kiss, it can't ever be, right? This love that you have for him is a bit…forbidden," he said, feigning horror.

"Very," she sighed, leaning on the table. "I just wish it didn't have to be."

"Well even if he did want it to be too, would it work out? With this imprint person running around as well?"

She shrugged. "I guess not. If he's found his…imprint or whatever and it's not me, then why even get my hopes up? I don't understand it, but it sounds…final."

"So? Force your way in there and knock that silly bitch out, whoever she is."

Renesmee sighed and took another long sip of her drink, the tequila swirling in her mouth as she tasted it. "I just…I always thought we'd be together. As long as I've been alive, he's always been there for me. Now I find out that I'm going to have to watch him…kiss someone else…marry someone else…have babies with someone else…"

Damon chuckled, slamming his fist down on the table a little too hard, making it rattle. "Okay, so did you live next door to Snow White or Sleeping Beauty?"

"What are you talking about?" she huffed, shoving her empty glass away from her.

Damon laughed again. "Well, you obviously grew up in 'Happy Fairytale Land'. What's all this crap about true love and getting married and having babies? Who said you can even have babies?"

She looked at him, her eyes suddenly wide. "What do you mean? I'm…I'm half human, of course I would be able to."

Damon laughed again, and she could practically feel the frustration growing in her cheeks as she stared at him. "What? Why are you laughing?"

He stopped, leaning in closer to her. "Renesmee, I've only known you for a day or two, but I know what you are…and if you think about it, why _would _you be able to?" he prodded. Shaking her head, she furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean?"

"Okay…your mother was a human when she conceived you, and your father was…well, what he is."

"Right."

"They obviously have a different chromosome count – I'm not sure what a…well….like your father and myself…have, but I know it's not the same as a human."

She felt her stomach drop as the information sunk in. She still had to ask. "What are you getting at?"

Damon slid even closer to her, pressing his knees against hers once again. "Do you know what a mule is, Renesmee?"

She nodded slowly as he continued. "Well, one would think...or at least, I would think that you're like a mule. Do you know what's so special about a mule?"

Her stomach fell all the way to the floor as she realized what he was trying to say. "Mules are infertile...I…I'm infertile."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well there you have it! How did you like Damon playing the devil's advocate? I hope you didn't mind my drunk Renesmee too much – I felt like it was a necessary thing to do to get her to make some decisions/say things that she normally wouldn't. Some, not all girls have experiences with underage drinking and a persuasive, good looking, older guy (lol) so I really wanted to include that. Damon is used in this story to say it like it is, and I really do try to capture his essence when he's in the scene. **And I realize that babies (or talk of) babies can sometimes turn certain readers off to a fic – please relax, no one is getting pregnant or popping any kids out just yet (or ever?). **Renesmee's fertility is just something I wanted to touch on, and it gave me something else to have Damon give her crap about.

That said, be sure to check out a pic of Damon! My dear friend on Twitter MimiLove4Ever has graciously done a picture of Damon with his blood red eyes that you ***NEED*** to see, along with Renesmee's outfit, Damon's stolen car, and a few other goodies. The link is on my profile page, and I will try to post the link below, just remember to replace the words with the actual keys (dot, and slash)

**http:/twitpic(dot)com(slash)photos(slash)TwilightCakes (let me know if it doesn't work, I will be happy to send you the link)**

Thank you, as always, to my lovely beta, **Rain-It-Shall** for all of her hard work!

Be sure to add me on **Twitter **and **Facebook **(links are on my profile page) as we have a lot of fun over there.

Remember, **reviews equal updates** people. I'm hard at work and would just like a little feedback. : )


	31. Interlude : Damon's debate

This is a fun little piece that I wrote for myself (not to post) to help with my characterization of Damon. When I finally got to the last chapter, I decided _why not? I'll post it! _Consider this interlude to be the Bree Tanner to my Eclipse. Enjoy!

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**Interlude: Damon's debate**

If she didn't want him to mess with her, then she shouldn't have made it so delightfully easy.

As Damon sat at the bar with her, watching her down the drink after drink that he had placed in front of her, he almost started to feel guilty.

_Almost._

He was only listening with half his mind…the other half was contemplating his next move. The Volturi were expecting him, and he had no plans to let them down. Spoiling this 'audition' would almost ensure that he would spend his existence roaming the earth as a nothing – powerless, overlooked, and normal. Damon knew that a situation like that would never please him. No, this was his once chance to prove to them that he was indeed of great worth, not to be taken lightly.

He needed to bring them Renesmee.

Dam thought back to a few weeks earlier as Renesmee continued to babble about her problems, crying into her drink.

Of course, he had no idea what Aro was looking for when he had first given him his task. All he had said was to go to Forks, bring him back what he would clearly want, and then his audition to become a member of the Volturi guard would begin. Damon had considered this little task to be the easy part.

However, once in Forks, he grew wary. He had gotten close enough to the Cullen house during one rainy evening to see that it held nothing of interest; only two seemingly ungifted vampires. Luckily, Damon was quick enough to know that this was not what Aro was talking about. So, he watched and waited from a safe distance until something strange caught his eye.

Wolves. But not normal wolves; huge, gargantuan size wolves. Then, when they shifted into humans at the Cullens front door, he knew something was up. Would these wolves hold the clue to what Aro wanted? Surely he didn't want giant sized guard dogs. Would they lead him to what he did want? He had to know. So Damon waited.

His superior hearing allowed him to pick up on the information that what he wanted wasn't' at home, and that the dogs were also aware of it. They were preparing their leader to help him get someone of importance from up north. But who?

_Lucky for me, the stupid mutts can't climb trees,_ he had thought to himself. The rain had done wonders to wash away most of his scent, which had helped him confuse them to begin with. He had managed to get close enough to the wolf pack in La Push to overhear plenty of information that helped him along the way. Then, he had been able to travel in the high tree tops to find the garage where their scent was the most potent. There, he had heard plenty of information that he needed. It was almost too easy.

His quick mind had stored away all of what they had discussed that afternoon in the garage. There had been four of them there that day, discussing the implication and problems involved with something – that word again. _Imprinting._

Damon had been confused at first, but his curiosity about these strange creatures had won out. He had stayed and listened for almost too long that evening, trying to gather as much information as he could before heading north.

As it turned out, he discovered that each of the wolves, or most of them, for that matter, had a person that was an imprint for them. It was something of a process, finding this person, and then their ideal goal was to be with them romantically. However, he figured out that not all subjects of this imprinting process were of age and ready to mate. This meant that the beasts had to wait for their imprints to age, thus complicating the process even further. He had been horrified with the idea of human women mating with these testy, short tempered creatures, but had shrugged it off. _Not his problem. _

From what he understood, subjects of the imprinting process had practically absolute power over their imprinters. As he listened, he gathered that the wolf didn't have to do what the imprint wanted, but disobeying or going against her wishes made him uncomfortable and even feel pain.

He had lost interest after almost an hour of eavesdropping, and knew he had to be on his way. A quick hunt resulted in his new vehicle, and he had promptly headed north. Damon could remember well enough where his brother was living, and knew that Denali held whatever it was that Aro wanted. He had flown up to the borders of the Denali National Forest after leaving his car somewhere safe, he made his way closer…but not too close. He knew from his memories of hearing Eleazar talk that he was not dealing with any ordinary coven of vampires.

He carefully raised his mental shield, projecting onto it nothing but the snowy wilderness. He would be coming, and they would be completely blind to him.

Discovering his gift hadn't been an easy task. Eleazar's own special talent was feeling out the gifts of the humans and vampires around him, so Damon knew that he couldn't linger long around the talented vampire. He had abandoned the Denali family, along with his brother, several short weeks after being transformed. Life as a rogue vampire was fun and easy at first, but Eleazar's words had echoed in his mind after he had overcome his blinding thirst.

"_You are gifted, Damon. I cannot tell exactly…but you will be a very powerful vampire. Do not worry..your gift will develop as you age, and I will help you master it, son…"_

When Eleazar had informed him and Stefan about the rules of the vampire world, he hadn't left out the Volturi. He had painted a realistic, powerful, and terrifyingly accurate picture of what the powerful coven could do. Damon had never been so entranced by anything in his life, human or vampire. That was all he needed to hear. The decision to travel to Italy and join them had been an easy one.

But first, he needed to work on this 'gift' of his. He had met several rogue vampires along the way who had been useful in helping him work with it. Small covens were rare, but he had found several of them over the past year or so. He would charm them, travel with them for a few short weeks, learning what he could…and then one day he would disappear. He would move on without a second glance, not caring what they thought of his rude behavior. The only thing he needed from them was practice. And so he did.

He had met a Southern vampire, Sofia, a few months after leaving Alaska. Her coven resided in the mountains surrounding Las Vegas, and only came out at night. They were human drinkers, and fed on campers and hikers that ventured into the mountains. Damon had been drawn immediately to Sofia, with her long black hair, olive and crème skin, and enchanting ruby eyes. She reminded him of someone that he would have been drawn to as a human. However, that was not all that drew him to Sofia. His new fellow vampire friend had had a gift of her own; the ability to sense which direction a vampire or human was going to move.

Sofia had been trusting with Damon; too trusting. She had willingly described her talent to the new vampire, wishing to help him with his own. To her, each vampire in her coven had a special colored haze, or glow in her eyes. Before they would move in one direction, the wisps of colorful halos would move first, giving her an idea of how they were going to travel. Damon had been delighted.

"_So, you know how your enemy is going to move before they do it? That's insane, I love it," he had said. _

_Sofia had laughed, the musical sound bouncing off the rock walls of the cavern they were exploring. "I use it for fun, Damon. Why would I need to fight? There is plenty of food that comes into the outskirts of the hills, and I love my coven. I'm loyal to them, so why would I need to use it to my advantage?_

"_To get ahead! You've got the power here, Sofia…you should use it!"_

Sofia had only laughed at him, which perplexed him. How could she not want to use her power to rule over the small coven? He wasn't sure he understood her.

Sofia had helped him develop his talent and practice using it against her. To his delight, he discovered that if he concentrated, he could actually use part of his mind to project a fake picture onto his shield, thus giving another gifted vampire a phony idea of his intentions. It was almost like he could lie with his gift.

However, he was young still, and his talent slipped often. His concentration would break, sending the picture crashing down to reveal his true intentions. That part still needed work. He had left Sofia at dawn one day, before her coven came back from a hunt. A small part of him was sad to leave the pretty young vampire behind, but he had his reasons to do so.

His determination had driven him like a mad man back to the forest that surrounded his former Denali home. When he had arrived there and stumbled across Renesmee in the woods, he was confused at first. She obviously did not have the senses of a full vampire, for she didn't notice him at first. Her heart beat, her eyes were human, yet something was not right. This girl appeared to have the same, pale, ivory skin as him, and it had shimmered slightly in the moonlight. And most importantly, she did not smell like a human. _Or a vampire. What was she?_

It had taken him speaking to her for less than ten seconds to realize that this was indeed what Aro wanted. _He wanted a half human, half vampire. Of course!_

His brain had flooded with questions of the hows and whys of Renesmee, but he had pushed them all aside to stare at her. She was easily one of the most perfect looking creatures he had ever laid eyes upon; so beautiful, so innocent, so trusting…it almost didn't seem fair that he would have to betray her and ruin her life.

Would it be worth it? Yes, he had quickly thought. This life wasn't what he wanted, and Renesmee was the key to walking away from it.

He had been chased away by the rabid dog, but when he returned in the car several days later, he barely had to ask her to come with him and she had quickly agreed. He wasn't sure which members of the coven had gifts, so he played it safe by projecting an image of himself bringing her back at the end of the weekend together. The family had let them go with relative simplicity. Again, it had been too easy.

Which brought him up to now. Thousands of miles away from her family and pack of beastly protectors, completely trusting and even drunk. It would be easy to overpower her, take her to Volterra, and turn her over to Aro and the rest of the Volturi, thus securing himself a place on the guard.

He watched her as she spoke about her feelings for his brother and this 'Jacob' creature, only half paying attention. She was so innocent and young, and he hated to think of what they would do to her. Damon couldn't understand why he was even contemplating going back on his word to Aro. He had decided long ago that he didn't want to spend the rest of eternity in the wilderness, living off of deer and squirrels for sustenance. What fun would that be? None.

Instead, he dreamt of a long life of absolute power and dignity. A life that would allow him to rule over others, dictating the law and taking no excuses. A life that would make others look up to him with loyalty, reverence, and respect. He wanted to join the Volturi.

Only now, looking at her, watching her…he couldn't help but shudder slightly at the ideas that crept into his mind. What were they planning to do with her? Surely they wanted to know whether or not she was powerful and gifted; would they be interested in the question of whether or not she could reproduce and make others like her? Would they mate her with a human, or with a vampire? Or with both? These questions rolled around in his mind as she continued to drink and talk. It would be all too easy to take her away now, before anyone could stop him.

So why couldn't he?


	32. spellin out your name

Well I'm not paralyzed  
But, I seem to be struck by you  
I want to make you move  
Because you're standing still  
If your body matches  
What your eyes can do  
You'll probably move right through  
Me on my way to you

Paralyzer – Finger Eleven

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**As always, a huge *THANK YOU* to the lovely beta, Rain-It-Shall for her beta-ing awesomeness. You rock girl, I don't know where this fic would be without you. She also rocks her beta skills on Immortal, isn't she awesome?**

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In Denali, Alice stiffened.

Jacob looked up at her quickly, his anxious eyes waiting to see what she would reveal in the vision that she was having.

Jasper appeared out of thin air, crouching next to his mate. Concern crossed his scarred, hard features as he watched her freeze up.

_Renesmee laughed with a group of girls in the public bathroom. She held up her new, sparkly clutch purse shyly, holding it out to show the other girls she was with. They all talked to her, smiled at her, made her feel happy. _

_She watched as Renesmee grinned, her happy eyes showing such joy to finally be conversing with girls like her easily apparent. Her cheeks were flushed with happiness and contentment as she talked and giggled with them. _

_She looked happy. _

"Alice, did you see her?" Jasper prodded at her as her body slackened.

Alice blinked a few times, a smile slowly spreading over her face as she replayed the vision she had just seen in her head for Edward, who had appeared in the doorway of the Great Room.

"Yes," Alice murmured to Jacob. "She's fine. Edward?"

Edward watched the scene take place again, his body relaxing slightly as he viewed his happy daughter through Alice's eyes. Pressing his lips together, his hand went to his already disheveled copper hair as he thought.

"Are you sure?" he asked his sister. Alice shrugged, her golden eyes blinking.

"As sure as I can be. I can't see much, but what I do get are short, happy flashes. She's fine, Edward. Maybe this really is what she needed."

"Where is she?" Jasper asked.

Alice shook her head. "She's in a city, with lots of people around her. I can't see where they are exactly, but he's taking her to...places she's always just wanted to go. They went to a mall earlier, and she got a new dress. Now she's talking in a bathroom with girls that look about her age. Edward, I...I'm sorry, but I can't see that this is at all bad."

"She still ran away from home, Alice, do I have to keep reminding you of that?"

"No, but-"

"But nothing! She is my only daughter and I have every right to be concerned!"

"I never said that you didn't," the small vampire snapped. Jasper covered her hand with his, sending her waves of calm.

"Not now, Jazz," she hissed. He shook his head, removing his hand.

"Just tryin' to help is all. I wish everyone would calm themselves a bit," Jasper admitted, glancing up at Edward.

"I can't help that I'm worried, Jasper. I'm sorry all of our moods have put you on edge, but I can't help but worry about my little girl-"

"She's full grown, Edward. And she's not doing anything wrong that I can see!"

"Yes, Alice, but she has never been away from home before-"

"So let her be!"

"Alice..." he hissed, his eyes widening with anger. She stood quickly, appearing in front of him in a flash. Her own eyes narrowed as they glared at each other, and Jasper stiffened on the couch, wincing.

"You know, Edward, I'm a bit insulted that you don't trust me with this," she stated, crossing her tiny arms over her chest.

"Pardon me for having concern about letting my seven year old daughter run off with a vampire we barely know. I realize that's asking a lot," he scoffed. Jasper stood up quickly, his eyes wide with anxiety.

"Relax, Jasper, we're not going to hurt each other," Edward mumbled, glancing at his brother.

"Speak for yourself!" Alice chirped, stamping her foot. Edward crossed his own arms, mimicking her stance.

"Watch it," he growled.

"Edward, you're just upset that she left. Quit directing your moodiness at me! It never gets you anywhere, and frankly, it's getting old," she said.

Edward uncrossed his arms, stalking away from her. He tossed her one more grouchy glance before he left the room.

"What's all the fuss?" Jacob asked, wandering in from the kitchen. Collin followed behind him, his eyes wide with worry. Everyone knew that angry vampires made the wolf even more nervous than most, especially since his accident with a rogue vampire.

"It's fine, Collin, we were merely having a disagreement," Edward said, glancing at him. Collin nodded, biting into an apple nervously.

"Don't, like, ignore me or anything," Jacob spat at Edward, rolling his eyes.

"Not now, Jacob," Edward sighed. "This isn't the best time."

"When is it ever?" Jacob shot back as Edward stormed out of the room. He looked over at Alice and Jasper, who were both standing like statues in the middle of the room.

Grumbling to himself, he walked over to the large leather couches and flopped down, Collin nervously following him. He practically walked in a half circle all the way around Jasper to get to the worn leather chair beside Jacob. He tossed Collin an annoyed glance at his uneasiness around the vampires, but said nothing. He had been inside Collin's head for years and had practically witnessed the attack that almost claimed the young wolf's life. Sadly, he understood the boy's fear of the Cullens, and even vampires in general, more than he cared to.

Taking another bite out of his apple, he tried not to think about the gruesome sight that was Collin after the rogue vampire that had attacked him a few years ago left him for dead. He had been bitten by the nasty creature and almost died because of it. He still walked with a slight limp as several bones in his leg hadn't reset themselves correctly. Carlisle had offered to re-break them when he was ready so that they would heal, but Collin had refused for years to let him do this.

"What?" He asked, looking over at Jasper and Alice. Alice stood, frowning, with Jasper behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"He makes me so mad sometimes I could just..."

"Ditto," Jake mused, the crunch of the apple echoing in the large room. Collin picked up a magazine, but clearly wasn't able to focus enough to actually read it.

"He won't trust me! I see her, and she's fine!"

Jacob's head snapped up. "You saw her? Where is she?" he asked, jumping up.

Alice tossed him a disgruntled glare and shrugged. "I don't know that. But I have seen her, she's safe, she's fine...she's...having fun, Jacob."

Jacob's eyebrows furrowed together as he flopped back down on the couch. "She's...she's having...fun?" he asked her incredulously.

Alice shrugged half-heartedly, nodding. "She appears to be, yes."

He grunted, taking another bite of the apple in his hand. "Runs off with a leech and goes and actually has fun! Only my imprint...only her," he muttered, waving his apple core at Collin.

Collin shifted in his chair, shrugging. He obviously didn't know what to say to pacify his alpha.

"Sorry, man," he winced. Jacob just shook his head and glared at Alice.

"If I didn't lov-…if…if she wasn't…I…I…I should kick her butt," Jacob mumbled, crossing his arms like a child.

"If you didn't what?" Collin prodded, a knowing grin on his face. Jacob made his own snarky face at him and curled his lip.

"You haven't imprinted yet, _you_ shut up."

"Won't, either,' Collin insisted. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Right, I'm sure." He turned his attention back to Alice.

"You're sure she's fine?" he asked again.

Alice threw up her hands and huffed. "I give up. You can all...go to hell," she muttered the last part quietly, but everyone in the room still heard her. She stomped off, her tiny shoes echoing off the hardwood floors. Jacob looked at Collin, then Jasper.

"What did I say?" he growled, huffing to himself. Collin just shook his head again.

Jasper spoke, making them both jump slightly. "I do not know – however, something you said must have registered deeply with her to make her use that language," he murmured, his face clearly amused. The scarred vampire exchanged clueless looks with the two boys before slowly gliding out of the room.

x-x-x-X-x-X-x

"Snap out of it," he said finally. "I'm not here to watch you wallow."

She looked up at him, surprised at his sudden sharpness. "I'm sorry. It's just kind of life-changing to find out that you can't…that I'll never…have kids."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Big fucking deal. Are you going to whine about that now, too?"

She looked down at her drink. "You can be mean sometimes," she said quietly.

"Renesmee, trust me. You're better off just forgetting about him. He's a werewolf for crap's sake. Trust me, because I found that out the hard way – not good friends to have. You said it yourself. You need to move on because as soon as he finds this 'imprint' it will be _so long Renesmee."_

"You really think so?"

Damon nodded. "I only spent a little time watching your wolfy friends down in their little community. I might have heard a few things about this whole…imprinting business, now that you mention it."

"Like what?" she demanded.

"Well…it seems pretty serious. You wouldn't want to get in the middle of all that. I understand that once he meets her…he'll leave. You're only just friends with him now – imagine if it was even more serious," he said, feigning horror. "If you were his imprint, he would have made a move by now – trust me."

"You really think so? I mean…I guess I never thought about it before. He's my best friend. It was never like _that _until recently."

"Right. If it was meant to be, why would he wait? He wouldn't, that's for sure. Why would you want to hang around and watch him drool over some other girl? Doesn't sound like much fun to me, if you ask."

She looked at him, her jaw tightening. "You're right. If I was meant for him, we would be together right now. He wouldn't have called me a mistake. He's waiting for her…I…I couldn't bear to be around Jacob with another girl, especially if they're, like, in love," she said, her bottom lip trembling.

"Imagine what you would do."

"I'd be miserable."

"Exactly. So dump the idea of hanging out with this stupid mutt and come party with me some more! You need to cheer up, Renesmee. You were way more fun to play with when you weren't talking nonstop about Jacob and my freaking brother."

She laughed, wiping her eyes and catching the tears that were about to fall. For some reason, she felt wrong about crying in front of Damon.

"Let's…let's go have some real fun," he said finally, giving her a wink.

"Like…what?" she sniffed, leaning over to her drink. She sucked the last remnants out of the bottom of the glass and looked back at him. The sinister smile that was decorating his perfect features sent chills up and down her spine.

"Who knows?" he asked, standing up. He dropped a hundred dollar bill on the cheap table, and they left the restaurant where they had been sitting for the past few hours. Once outside, she looked up at him as they began to walk down the sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" she asked him curiously.

He laughed, turning his face up towards the sky, where it was starting to snow lightly. "Like I've said, Renesmee, that's the beauty of this whooole situation. We can go anywhere you want, little girl."

She smiled at him as they walked down the chilly sidewalk. "What's still open? What is there to do?"

He glanced down at his expensive looking watch, smiling. "It's only 2:30; we've got plenty of time. This city never sleeps," he said, rubbing his hands together deviously.

Her eyes lit up as she grinned. "It's 2:30 in the morning? I've never been out half this late before! She laughed.

Damon frowned, winding his arm in with hers. "You mean...you live with people who don't sleep, yet you never go out past your 'bedtime'? He sneered.

She shook her head and laughed. "Um, no," she said. "I would if I could…I have always wanted to get out and do something wild. Something really…irresponsible that they would never let me do….like ever."

Damon's eyes lit up in the bright lights of the busy city street, and she giggled at his expression. Something about him was just so…mysterious and sexy. It made her heart race and palms get clammy, but she definitely liked it.

"Just walk with me until you see something you want to do," he growled playfully, tugging on her arm. She laughed nervously as they walked a little too quickly through the busy streets of late-night Vancouver. Damon was constantly doing that; moving too fast for human eyes. It made her nervous, but not enough to actually say anything. She had realized in the past few days that her family adhered to the strict rules of the Volturi about secrecy so carefully. It was downright odd to be with someone who was a bit blatant about ignoring them. There were so many things about Damon that were dangerous yet interesting, and she still wasn't sure why he captivated her so.

They walked along the streets of the busy city, Renesmee's eyes as wide as saucers while she watched the scenery pass by. Suddenly, something caught her eye.

"Wait!" she hissed, pulling him to a stop. Damon glanced up at the neon sign in the window, and his face slowly spread into a wicked smile.

"Really?" he questioned, and she grinned.

"I've always wanted to," she admitted sheepishly. Damon just shrugged and followed her inside the small shop.

"Can I help you?" a heavily tattooed man asked. Renesmee swallowed the lump in her throat nervously, nodding finally.

"Um, I'd like to get a tattoo?" she finally spit out. Damon snorted beside her, and the man behind the counter glanced at him nervously. Renesmee glanced over her shoulder at Damon, giving him a curious look, but the alcohol was causing her to not really care what was going on. She just felt…alive, free, and happy. Nothing was going to stop her tonight.

"You eighteen?" the man asked, narrowing his gaze at her. She nodded slowly, trying to stand up straighter. He looked her up and down, and she did the same to him. He was bald, possibly in his forties, with tattoos all over his body. He had multiple hoops, chains and studs attached to each of his ears and his face. Even his chin was adorned with metal; a shiny spike jutted out from it.

She swallowed again, trying to calm herself. "She's old enough," she heard Damon sneer at him. He raised his eyebrows, but shrugged in response as if he had thought about arguing but suddenly changed his mind.

"Come on back," he grunted, moving the swinging half door so that she could follow him into the back. Renesmee glanced over her shoulder at Damon with a worried expression.

"Damon, your eyes!" she hissed, her voice low. The venom had already begun to melt the contacts, and his blood-red irises were quickly being revealed. Another shiver shot up and down her spine rapidly at the sight of his strange colored irises, and she quickly whipped her head around to look at the man in front of her.

"So, Miss, uh…what you thinking about gettin'?" he asked, pulling out a large book of potential designs.

Renesmee blinked in surprised, still shocked that this was actually going to happen. _Her father was going to kill her. Oh well…_

She flipped through the book for a moment, but could soon tell that Damon was growing bored of her little excursion. "Um, how about a star?" she asked, pointing to a small, simple star. The man grunted in response, and began to make the proper preparations for the tattoo.

"Where you getting it?" he asked, looking up at her. She paused, thinking rapidly. Wherever it was, she would have it for the rest of…well, forever.

"Um, how about on the inside of my ankle?" she asked hopefully. He nodded, and motioned for her to sit down on the table. She obeyed, kicking off her high heeled shoe and settling down on the plastic covering. The room they were in reeked of sterilization products, cheap plastic, and metal, she thought, wrinkling her nose. Damon leaned against the counter beside her, and she noticed the man looking up at them both. A slightly nervous expression was decorating his features, and Renesmee almost felt sorry for him for being so afraid. That wasn't how she wanted humans to view her.

Glancing at Damon, she realized that his red eyes certainly weren't doing much to calm either her or the tattoo artist. They practically glowed in the harsh lighting of the tattoo parlor.

He cleaned her skin, frowning slightly as he pressed on the surface, but didn't say anything.

"Ready?" he asked, motioning to the outline of her future tattoo. She glanced down nervously, balling her fists up in anticipation of the needle hitting her skin. Nodding, she sucked in a breath as he started up the needle. It hummed and vibrated quickly, making her even more anxious than she already was.

He pressed it against her skin and began to move it. Wincing slightly, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to relax. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would; she knew that her threshold for pain was pretty high, but the needle did feel rough against her tough yet sensitive skin. Slipping one eye open, she watched as he wiped the practice ink off of the spot he had tattooed to check his progress. His face changed as he realized that his gun hadn't made a mark on her, despite his effort.

Damon's eyes met hers as her heart began to race. _It's not working! _She thought in a panic. She bit her lip as he cut the gun off, restarted it, and tried again. And again. Finally, he glanced up at her.

"It uh…doesn't seem to want to…work," he mumbled, trying again. Damon shifted beside the table, and the tattoo artist looked up again with a worried expression in his already nervous looking eyes.

"Try it again," Damon sneered, leaning closer. Renesmee's sharp eyes watched goose bumps appear on his arms, and her heart began to race faster. Damon wouldn't…hurt the man, would he?

The tattoo artist pressed the needle to her skin again, this time harder. Nothing happened. He looked up nervously, first at her, and then at Damon.

"It w-won't work," he finally stuttered. He glanced up at Damon, who was glowering over him suddenly.

"She wants a tattoo," He growled, cocking an eyebrow at him. The man gulped, and within a split second Damon's hand was around his neck, pinning him against the wall with vampire speed.

"The girl wants a tattoo," he growled again. "So give her a tattoo."

"I-I can't!" he gasped, straining for breath. His eyes pleaded with Renesmee for help, but she was frozen on the table. "What a-are you?"

The whites of his eyes shone as Damon held him against the wall, his fists slowly tightening against the soft flesh of his neck.

"Please…help," he choked out to Renesmee, who still sat frozen on the table. He continued to struggle against Damon's iron grip, but to no avail.

"Damon…" she finally managed to hiss. "Let him go!"

He continued to stare at the man, his crimson eyes glowing with malice and evil. Slowly, his grip loosened, and the tattoo artist was eventually free. He sucked in deep breaths, his hands going to his neck to press against the irritated flesh there. "Oh my god…what are you?" he panted, using one hand to lean on the table in front of him.

Renesmee's mind raced to think of something to tell him. What would her father say at a time like this? Carlisle?

"I…I have a skin condition that I should have told you about, I'-I'm sorry," she stuttered, walking over to him. She tried to give him a dazzling smile like her Aunt Alice would do, but the man still looked terrified.

Damon growled under his breath and backed away slightly, and the man relaxed. "I just…I never felt skin like that…so hard, and like...like stone-"

He was cut off. In one swift motion, Damon had reached over and used one hand to quickly snap his neck with a sickening crunch. He heaved his last breath as he slumped forward against the plastic covered table with dull 'thud'. Renesmee gasped out loud. She had never, ever seen a human die right in front of her before. The sight was so appalling and disturbing that she felt sick.

"Damon!" she shrieked, a horrified gasp left her mouth, and her brown eyes were as wide as saucers as she flittered over to him. "What have you done? You just killed him! You killed a human, Damon!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. The weight of what had just happened sunk onto her shoulders, making her tremble with disgust. She had to look away.

"He knew too much," Damon spat at her, his icy glare giving her a chill. Suddenly, she felt very scared. Coming to Vancouver was a huge mistake.

He hissed, and pulled the lifeless body up from the table with one hand. Damon looked at her, his once friendly, exciting blue eyes and charming, debonair smile gone. In their place was a sinister smirk and glazed over crimson eyes that mocked her with evil.

"Aw, are you going to cry?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes. She bit her quivering lip, her hands trembling even more as she watched him.

"This is part of it, Renesmee," he said finally. "If you're going to cry, go in the other room. I'm thirsty," he growled. With vampire speed, his lips pulled away from his teeth, and he sank his jaws into the thin skin of the man's neck. Blood dripped from the area around his mouth as he greedily sucked, and her stomach lurched.

Stumbling in her high heels, she pushed her way through the back of the tattoo parlor, her eyes clouded with unshed tears. Her shaky hands broke the lock covering the back door, and she shoved it open in one fluid motion, the rusted bolts scattering to the pavement. The chilly, winter wind hit her flushed cheeks, bringing her back to reality. Leaning over, she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach.

This whole thing was the biggest mistake of her life.

X-x-x-x-x-X-x

Jacob glared over his shoulder as he stalked out of the Great Room. The sickly sweet stench of vampire permeated most of the house, but it was mostly concentrated in the large room where most of them seemed to like to congregate. They were in there still, arguing over what to do about Renesmee. She had been gone almost two days now, and they had yet to hear anything. Alice insisted that she was keeping a close watch out for her, but he still felt annoyed with her.

How could she technically see Renesmee but have no clue where she was? It all infuriated him to no end. He wanted to go now and see her – not wait around for her to finally haul herself home. Nothing about the current situation pleased him – in fact, the feeling of his imprint gone with a mysterious new vampire made him want to crawl out of his own skin.

"She'll come back, man," Collin said, trailing behind him. Jacob was grateful for his support, but a bit annoyed that Collin was following him around like a little lost puppy.

"Thanks. Hey, why didn't you go out with the rest of the guys?" Jacob asked. The rest of the pack had left several hours before to go for a run, patrol, and maybe explore the mountains a bit. Collin had stayed behind, much to Jacob's surprise.

"Nah...Didn't feel like it," Collin mumbled, following Jacob into the kitchen. Jacob opened the refrigerator for what felt like the millionth time that day and frowned. He had been eating at least triple what he had been at school; Carmen kept her kitchen well stocked for them, and he had had a hard time resisting all the food that was suddenly available to him. Besides, eating was the one thing that took his mind off of his missing imprint for more than five minutes.

Renesmee even haunted him in his sleep, which was now short, choppy, and constantly interrupted with dreams of her needing his help. Rolling his eyes, he pulled out a huge bowl of what appeared to be pasta salad, grabbed a fork, and dug in.

"You alright?" he asked, taking a large bite. Collin flopped down on a barstool, shrugging.

"Yeah, I'm good," he muttered, running a hand through his shaggy hair. Jacob watched the younger boy as he ate, chewing thoughtfully. Suddenly, he made a slight face at what he was chewing. Carmen was usually a pretty good cook – or at least as good as she could be without a decent sense of smell. However, she hadn't put nearly enough dressing on her salad.

He reached into the door of the fridge, grabbing a bottle to add to the bland mixture of vegetables and curly pasta.

"I just...feel kinda restless...I don't know," Collin said thoughtfully.

"I know what you mean," Jacob answered with an eye roll. "I feel like I'm about to rip out my own hair just to feel something."

Collin gave him a strange look, but continued. "I just feel like I'm wandering through life, not really doing much. I mean...I'm gonna be stuck like this forever!"

"You could stop phasing," Jacob offered. "I don't want to see you go, but I don't want to hold you back either," he admitted.

Collin shook his head. "Nah, then what would I have left? I already don't have a family, and then I'd have no pack? All that would be left is my crummy job at the shop," he teased, winking at Jacob.

Jacob sighed in mock annoyance and continued eating. He felt sorry for Collin – he was pretty much right. The younger wolf had come from a rough, uncaring family background with not much support, and hadn't known who his father was for most of his life. When he finally did figure out who it was, the man was already dead. The only thing he had left for him was his run down fishing cabin that sat by a lake in the hills of La Push. He was somewhat quiet and reserved, and preferred staying home in his garage and doing furniture making as opposed to scouring local bars and restaurants with the younger wolves. Between patrolling, furniture making, and working full time at Jacob's shop, he didn't have a lot on his plate.

"So, what's your point?" Jacob asked.

Collin shrugged again, picking up a banana from the bowl of fruit in front of him. "Just feel...anxious is all. Like something is coming that I don't know about. But like...like I've been waiting for it."

"Not sure I follow," Jacob admitted.

"I don't either, I guess, and that's the problem," he said. He bit into the fruit, watching out the window absently as he chewed.

"Well, I guarantee that right now you feel better than I do," Jacob muttered, tossing his dirty fork in the sink. He patted his stomach, only feeling slightly better after eating. "I feel like I'm gonna rip this place apart if she doesn't get her little tail back here, and soon."

"Nessie's making you crazy?"

"That's the least of it," Jacob muttered, placing the food back in the refrigerator. "Just be glad you don't have an imprint to be around, making you nuts and so freaking on edge that you can barely eat!" he growled, his voice growing louder with each word.

Collin snickered, but Jacob didn't miss the look that crossed his face. "Ulgh, really Collin?" he asked, looking at him incredulously.

Collin held up his hands. "What?"

"You don't want an imprint, do you?"

Collin just sighed, shaking his head. "Jake, man...I don't know what I want," he mumbled finally. Jacob rolled his eyes, his bare feet shuffling across the tile floors.

"Be careful what you wish for."

x-x-x-X-x-X-x

When she was done puking up the remains of the tequila behind the tattoo parlor, she straightened up, her legs still shaky. What the hell was she going to do? She still felt sick, but knew that her stomach was now empty. Holding onto the walls, she made her way back to the room where she could smell the pungent aroma of human blood. It was a scent she had not smelled in many years. Her family had weaned her from human blood a few weeks after she was born.

Flames roared up in her throat as she inhaled, still gasping slightly for breath after throwing up. Her fingers dug into the plaster walls, little bits of drywall falling to the floor as she slowly made her way to where Damon was.

She could hear him taking short little breaths of relief as he sat, and her eyes soon met his.

He panted once again, then looked up at her, his eyes glowing red. A chill ran down her spine, making her stand straight up to look at him, her mouth gaping open.

"Damon," she whispered her eyes wide. They fell on the crumpled body that was slumped against Damon's shoulder, a large gash ripped in his jugular. Blood seeped down the sides of the ripped flesh, glistening in the harsh lighting of the shop.

He cocked an eyebrow, looking at her pointedly as he licked a tiny drop of blood from his lip. "Saved you some," he said, his voice raspy and thick.

Her stomach lurched again at the repulsive idea of drinking from a human, but not before her eyes lay upon the open wound on the copse's neck. Damon didn't miss this.

"You're thirsty, aren't you?" he taunted her. She shook her head 'no', but she had never been much of a liar.

Sucking in a breath, she held it firmly in her lungs and hoped the burning sensation would soon end. Blood continued to trickle down his limp neck, and Damon made a 'tsk-ing' noise at her.

"Last offer," he sneered, grabbing the man's head. He held it to the side, offering her a chance at feeding off the lifeless body. She shook her head no, trying to ignore the flames that continued to torture her sensitive throat.

"Don't say I never tried to give you anything," he replied, and lowered his head down to greedily suck the rest of the blood from the corpse. Her stomach continued to churn as one of the dead man's hands fell from the table, swinging lifelessly at his side. Grabbing the side of the table, she leaned all her weight on it as she waited for him to finish.

Once he had drained him, Damon stood, tossing the body onto the table with a soft 'thud'. "Time to play reverse CSI," he chuckled, wiping his chin with his coat sleeve.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, her eyes wide. Damon snorted, narrowing his gaze at her as she stared at the lifeless being in front of her.

"What now?" he groaned, looking at her with an annoyed glare. She looked between him and the body, biting her lip.

"You can't just leave him like that!" she said. "Someone will know! You ripped his neck open and drained him, what will that look like?" she asked him.

Damon shrugged, growling to himself as he glanced around the shop. "Fine, if it will make you happy," he muttered, grabbing a few bottles of chemicals from beneath the sink. He doused the body with the foul smelling chemicals, carefully covering every inch of the room they were in. Renesmee held a hand over her nose as they stung at her already parched throat, making a face as she watched him.

She whimpered as Damon took a large knife out of the man's back pocket, slashing him several times on his neck, chest, and arms before placing it firmly in his stomach.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, tears now spilling over her cheeks. Damon growled at her, appearing in front of her in a flash.

"Knife fight gone wrong, the person who did it set the place on fire. No questions asked. You said you wanted me to take care of it," he sneered. Renesmee flinched away from him, closing her tear-filled eyes. She had never witnessed something so horrible in her entire life.

She had never hated being a vampire more than she did at that moment.

Damon opened a packet of matches, striking the entire book of them into flames. He glanced at her, his now glowing crimson eyes narrowing in on her. "Go," he stated, nodding to the back door.

Choking back tears, she made her way towards the back exit and darted out the door. Moments later, she heard flames erupt and begin to burn the chemicals covering the body and the store. Her nose twitched in pain as she breathed in the harsh smelling aroma of the burning building, even from outside. Moving quickly in the darkness, she found herself across the parking lot, leaning against a car.

Damon joined her seconds later, and they watched for a moment as the building exploded into flames. Sirens began to sound in the distance, and Damon motioned for her to come with him.

"Take me back to the hotel," she demanded, moving silently behind him.

"Had enough fun for one night, have we?" he muttered, fishing the keys from his pocket. She said nothing, only crossing her arms in front of her still-churning stomach.

They drove in silence to the hotel. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him really. What could she say after what she had just witnessed? There weren't any words. She had just watched him commit a murder on an innocent human, all because she had wanted a silly tattoo. Shame flooded her emotions as she sat in the cold leather seats. Never in her life had she felt so disgusted with herself.

Once back at the hotel, Damon disappeared again, leaving her to sleep. She tossed and turned in her uncomfortable dress for a few hours, but she could barely think straight long enough to get up and change into her street clothes. Suddenly, that just didn't seem important.

The man's innocent face flashed in front of her eyes each time she closed them. How could she have done that?

_I should have been thinking better...I shouldn't have been drinking, I shouldn't have been trying to get a tattoo...I just...shouldn't have done any of this. I'm a horrible person, _she thought, squeezing her eyes closed.

After almost an hour of tossing and turning, she sat up in the dark hotel room, squinting slightly to get her sharp vision back. Sleep was obviously useless tonight, even though she felt exhausted. It was nearly four in the morning – where was Damon? Standing up, she walked over to the tall windows that lined the back wall of the room. The night lights of Vancouver glittered below her, making her feel slightly better. The city was absolutely stunning… if only she could have enjoyed more of it.

The cold winter wind whipped around the building, and her sensitive feet could feel the steel structure rumble slightly in the strong winds. All of a sudden, she felt very cold. Crossing her arms around herself, she caught her mind wandering back home.

Everyone was probably worried about her. She felt very childish about running away and not facing up to her problems. Leaning her forehead against the thick glass, she frowned as her thoughts scorned her immature behavior.

While standing there, she realized that running off with Damon didn't prove anything, except maybe the fact that she was still behaving like a child. Her problems would still be there at home, waiting for her to return. Nothing was solved by running away. In fact, she realized, she had only made things ten times worse.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she let images of her family members flash in front of her eyes. What would they say when she returned? She was an adult, and even though she hadn't been acting like one, would they punish her?

_I deserve it, _she thought sadly.

She had hurt Stefan's feelings by brushing him off, toying with his feelings, and then leaving with his brother. She felt another pang of shame as she realized how badly she must have hurt Jacob as well. She had not only toyed with Stefan, but she had played with Jake's emotions as well. Biting her lip, she felt herself flush with embarrassment for her behavior in the past few weeks. Yes, her problems would certainly still be there, only now, they were worse. What had she been thinking?

Suddenly, many things became clear.

First, she wanted to go home. Home was wherever her family and Jacob were, and that was certainly not here.

Swallowing loudly, her eyes aimlessly scanned the beautiful Vancouver skyline as she thought about the past few months. Why was everything suddenly so clear and made so much sense now that she was thousands of miles away? Renesmee knew that she had a lot of things to fix, a lot of apologies to say, and a lot of changing to do. It wouldn't be easy, but she knew that it would have to be done. It was time to stop acting like a confused, petulant teenager and start acting like an adult.

Lastly, she knew she needed to deal with Stefan. She couldn't deny that she had feelings for him. Deep ones, at that. The way his mysterious green and golden eyes gazed at her with such longing and devotion literally made her knees weak. His cool, marble hands against her were exciting and new and made her hear beat faster with anticipation for what he would do next. However, at that moment in the hotel room, Stefan's cool hands were not what she was wishing for. She knew at that moment, deep down, that her feelings for him were not enough.

Instead, it was a different type of extreme she craved.

Heat.

X-x-x-X-x-X-x

"Where are you going?" Collin asked, watching as Jacob stood up. They had been in the Great Room with Emmett and Rosalie for several hours, discussing their favorite football teams. Well, Emmett was talking sports to anyone who would listen, Collin was watching him wearily, and Jacob was giving some absent responses. Rosalie basically just sat there and frowned.

Anything to get Jacob's mind off of Renesmee. The rest of the pack was still out patrolling somewhere for Damon, and Jacob was quickly growing restless.

"For a run, you can come if you want," he muttered, stripping off his shirt. He tossed it over the back of the couch, and Collin did the same.

"At least wait until you're outside to start stripping!" Emmett laughed from the other side of the room where he sat, with Rosalie curled into his side.

"Gay," Rosalie muttered, rolling her eyes as she flipped through her magazine.

"Can it, Blondie," Jacob growled, yanking the door open. If he had been in a better mood, and was at the Cullens house, he would have stripped completely down and then pressed his butt cheeks against the clean glass just to piss Rosalie off. However, he wouldn't do that to Carmen and he wasn't even in a good enough mood to harass Rosalie.

"We should build Fido a nice dog house in the backyard if we stay here much longer," he heard Rosalie mutter inside. Emmett chuckled, but said nothing.

"Stupid bitch," Jacob hissed, stomping through the fresh snow across the backyard. Collin chuckled and trotted behind him, both boys finding a bush at the edge of the lawn to strip down behind. Tying his shorts to his leg, he waited for Collin to phase as well before taking off.

The two wolves ran silently and easily through the forest, up hills and across several snowy plains. Jacob sighed as he ran, his breath forming small clouds in front of him in the chilly morning air. Then ran up a winding path to a tall mountain ridge; Jacob was clearly not in any mood to sit around the house, so exploring seemed like a good way to pass some time.

_Three days. _

She had been gone now for three whole days.

At first he thought that she would just be gone for the weekend possibly, and then she would return home to him. Not even that idea gave him much hope. He still felt like he would not be the chosen one when it came to Stefan, the stupid leech.

_I'm with you, brother,_ Collin echoed. Jacob glanced behind him, having forgotten that he wasn't alone.

_Sorry,_ Collin echoed. Jacob just sighed in his head, signaling to his pack mate that he didn't mind the company.

_She'd be crazy to pick that stupid leech over you, _Collin said.

_You'd think that, wouldn't you? _Jacob laughed.

Collin ran, his nose to the ground, slowing his gait. _Leech_, he said suddenly.

Jacob circled around, running past the scent. _It's just Stefan. What's he doing up here?_ Jacob wondered, shifting his direction to follow the scent of his vampire competition.

The two wolves ran until they found the young vampire, who was crouched against the side of the rocky terrain when they approached. Jacob huffed into the air as they both slid to a halt. He motioned to Collin, and the two of them went behind some boulders to phase back.

"What are you doing up here?" Jacob asked, walking out in his shorts. Stefan tossed him an annoyed glare, but shrugged.

"Just came up here to think," he said softly, straightening up from his crouch. Jacob watched as his strange, green and yellow eyes shifted nervously between Collin and himself, and Jacob was suddenly hit with a feeling of smug satisfaction.

The leech was scared of them. He should be..._up here all alone with two werewolves. I bet we could take him out easily...I bet that would help my chances with Renesmee. She'd have to pick me if he wasn't an option...no!_

He tried to clear his train of thought, slightly ashamed of himself for the desperate tone of his mind. As much as he hated Stefan and the idea that he had done things with Renesmee that he probably had not, he was embarrassed that he had thought about killing him.

"You know, it's not difficult to guess your thoughts," Stefan replied, backing away from them slowly.

Jacob shrugged, another smug glare decorating his tan face. Collin kicked a toe in the snowy dirt nervously, obviously trying to avoid this conversation. Jacob crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the vampire that paced nervously in front of them. Stefan glared at Jacob again, turning away to look out over the Alaskan forest.

"What are you really doing out here?" Jacob prodded him. Stefan tossed him a glare over his shoulder, but said nothing.

Jacob's temper flared as Stefan arrogantly ignored his question. "You got a lot of nerve," he growled, turning around on his heel. He began to walk away when Stefan suddenly turned around.

"I'm the one with the nerve, huh?" he asked, crossing his arms over his stone chest. Jacob stopped, cocked an eyebrow, and turned back around. He mimicked Stefan's action, crossing his arms in front of him smugly.

"That's what I said, dog," Stefan answered. He knew that he was wrong to press his luck with Jacob, but he had come out to the mountainside to be alone with his thoughts, not be taunted by a silly werewolf.

Jacob grunted in response. "You know, a long time ago I lost a fight for a girl, and I made up my mind that that was only going to happen once. I'd be careful what you say to me right now because I'm just not in the mood, _Stefan_," he spat, wobbling his head haughtily at the vampire in front of him.

Collin continued to look nervously between the two of them, his eyes trailing behind where he and Jacob stood in the direction of home. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight on the side of a mountain at the moment. The cold, morning wind came whipping around the side of the cliff face, reminding him that they were far from anyone who could help. A chill ran down his spine as Collin watched the two of them stare each other down.

Stefan was positively seething. He was normally quite laid back, but right now was an exception. His time away from Renesmee had shaken his confidence about life in general. With her, he thought that he would be able to figure out this immortal way of life – with Renesmee by his side, maybe things would be okay after all. He thought he had finally found a mate in her. The idea of going through life without out her was just…_devastating_. He was in no mood to be messed with. Jacob laughed when he heard Stefan growl to himself as he paced in front of the rocky edge of the flat area where they now stood on the side of the mountain.

"You got a problem with me, parasite? We can fix it here and now," Jacob huffed.

Stefan scoffed at him. "How eloquent you mutts are," he shot back at him, taking a step forward. "You bring out the worst in me."

Jacob narrowed his gaze at the vampire in front of him as Collin began to fidget behind him.

"Jake, come on, man," Collin said, looking around nervously. He did not want to have to break up a fight at the moment with absolutely zero help. He was in the middle of nowhere, and far from anyone who could offer their assistance. He was guessing that Jacob killing Stefan would probably not be the thing to do right now.

"Can it, Collin."

"Jake, man, think about this," Collin argued as Jacob began to shift in the dirty snow.

They were on the side of a large mountain face, about halfway up. And most importantly, they were miles away from the Denali house and anyone that could help them.

"Listen to the pup," Stefan urged as he and Jacob began to circle each other. Jacob snorted in response, placing a hand on Collin's chest.

"Go home, Collin, and let me deal with this pretty boy," Jacob said.

Collin bit his lip, wringing his hands together. He was trying to keep it together, but it wasn't going well.

"Jake, really…if you hurt him, what do you think the chances are that _his brother_ brings Nessie back unharmed?"

"I don't care," Jacob said through gritted teeth as he circled Jacob. Collin grimaced as Jacob cracked his neck and knuckles, preparing to phase.

"Jake…"

"Step back, Collin," Jacob ordered in his Alpha voice. Collin exhaled and shook his head as he moved to the side. Stefan shot him a warning glance, and he felt chills go up his spine as his eyes met with the strange gold and green irises of the young vampire. He did not have a good feeling about this.

"Everything was fine until you came along," Stefan sneered, his hands curling into claws. He was so agitated from being interrupted that he was now boiling with anger. All of his feelings of sorrow, loss, and hopelessness were now becoming anger that was steadily channeling at Jacob.

"She was mine first," Jacob growled. Stefan laughed.

"So that's why you ran off and left her? She came to me."

"And guess what? Now that I'm back, you're pissed that she's into me again. Admit it!" Jacob challenged. He wasn't really positive that Renesmee returned his feelings, but he was willing to call Stefan's bluff.

"Don't you think she'll eventually realize what she could have if she was with me? How her family would accept it? It's natural, and that's the part that makes you so angry with this whole situation," Stefan said, his voice suddenly calm.

He and Jacob continued to circle one another, preparing to fight. "That's why I make you so mad. It's because she and I actually make sense together; we work. You don't have that."

"If she wanted to be with you, bloodsucker, she would!"

Stefan laughed haughtily. "Well she isn't with you either, Jacob. I think I've hit a nerve with that assumption. You're angry because you know I'm right."

"That's what you think!"

"No, I think I am right," Stefan continued. "I fit with her. I work with her. She's like me, and nothing like you. That kills you inside, doesn't it?"

At the mention of Stefan and Renesmee being 'alike', Jacob's fists began to shake and quiver. He felt the familiar rush of heat tremble down his spine, but he wasn't quite ready to phase yet. He still had more to say.

"If she's nothing like me, then why do you think she's drawn to me like a moth to a flame? Did you ever ask yourself that? I can be away for months at a time, and she still comes back to me," he spat.

Stefan's mind instantly went back to Renesmee's birthday when she had accidentally shown him an image of Jacob kissing her instead of himself, and he swore he could feel his cool skin boil with anger at the memory.

"She's just a bit confused. Maybe if you'd disappear and let her figure out what's good for her, she would be able to make a decision – the right decision."

Jacob shook even harder at the idea of leaving Renesmee alone with that filthy bloodsucker. His hands began to blur, and Collin stepped further away, ready to phase in order to help his Alpha.

"That was your last insult, you filthy monster," he growled. In one fluid motion, his clothes ripped away from his body and he hit the ground on all fours.

"Tell me Jacob – Does it hurt more to know that I was there for her when you fucked everything up, or does it hurt you more to know that I've done things to her that you couldn't?"

Jacob let a gruesome snarl rip from his chest before he lunged at Stefan's throat.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hello all! I'm back… was having some issues, so I decided to sit back and wait out the trouble. However, I am back with a vengeance! I've done nothing but write these past few days, and I'm so excited for this story!

**Also, I'll be posting a SETH FIC!** For those of you going, "Um, ew, he's 15,"…well what if he was older and you didn't to feel bad about basking in his hotness? Hm? This is an M rated fic with darker themes and some M rated topics of discussion, so you have been warned. It will feature shorter chapters with more frequent updates. I don't have a set schedule laid out yet, but definitely updating it every week – more if the feedback is good. Well in this fic, Seth is a 27 year old Police Officer in Forks who is biding his time, waiting for his imprint…

Oh, you thought I was gonna tell you more? Mmm, nope! It's called **'Love This Pain'** and will be up next week! Please, even if you're not Team Seth, give it a try. My test readers loved it, and were happy to have a 'mature' Seth fic out there.

If you'd like to be notified when it's up, be sure to add me to your 'author alert' feature, and you will be notified when it goes up.

_**And as always….Reviews = Updates**_.

As my dear friend and fellow writer EliseShaw says sometimes at the end of her chapters, "It takes me a long time to write 8,000 words. Can you please leave me 10 kind ones in return?"

And also, if you haven't read EliseShaw's things…shame on you! One of the best canon writers and writers PERIOD out there, so…GO! Look her up, leave her some love, tell her I sent ya…You'll thank me, trust me.


	33. you gotta come on, come on

How do we get so mean? How do we just move on?  
Is it 'cause we wanna be free? Well that's not me.  
Normally I'm so strong  
I just can't wake up on the floor  
Like a thousand times before  
Knowing that forever won't be

I'm always sentimental when I think of how it was  
When love was sweet and new and we just couldn't get enough

_Mean – Pink_

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**Quick Author Note:** Several of you have asked about my chapter titles. The fic was inspired by a song called '**Untouchable' **that Taylor Swift recorded.

If you don't her, that's fine, I just loved the song and it's really beautiful. She didn't write it, but she recorded it and you can preview (or buy) it on iTunes – it's really lovely. The lyrics really inspired this story and are gorgeous. If you look at the drop down menu, the chapter titles write out the lyrics to the song. However, I'm running out of lyrics so soon they will just have normal titles. But check out the song if you have a second, it's really pretty.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee stood with her forehead pressed against the cool glass of the high rise hotel room in Vancouver. Never had the distance between her and Jacob felt larger, nor more daunting. She wrapped the soft hotel blanket around her shoulders tighter, snuggling against the fabric. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly cold. It didn't help that the only thing she could think about was her longing to feel Jacob and the warmth that seemed to radiate off of him.

Stepping back from the window, she closed her eyes and sighed as the pull inside her chest tightened and seemed to almost spasm. It was almost painful.

Glancing down at her black dress, she wanted nothing more than to get out of it and throw it away. It somehow reeked of both tequila and the tattoo parlor where Damon had murdered that man. She decided that she hated tequila. Her head was throbbing slightly as she unzipped the tight, black material, letting it fall to the floor. One look at the clock showed her that it was nearly five in the morning, and Damon was nowhere to be found in the large hotel suite. Part of her wondered where he was, and the other part of her grimaced at the realistic ideas that floated through her mind.

She walked into the large marble bathroom. It was chic and elegant, unlike anything she had ever seen. It was done entirely in black and white swirled marble, with lots of mirrors to give it a modern, sleek look. The prettiest white orchids she had ever seen sat on the bathroom counter in a glass, mirrored planter. She reached out to touch them, running her finger gently along the soft petal. She sighed and inhaled their exotic, soothing scent.

Pulling a fluffy white towel off the rack, she placed it on the rug beside the glass shower. She turned on the water to steaming hot, stripped off her bra and underwear, and turned the lock on the door. Not that that would deter anyone she knew, but it was just a habit. The mirrored walls began to steam up as the shower pelted down the streams of warm water. Soon, she was inhaling the steam that was clouding up the large bathroom in soothing breaths. Once inside the shower doors, she soaked her hair and body under the hot jets.

The warm water coated her body, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. She finally felt somewhat warm and…protected. Her mind went to Jacob whenever she thought about warmth and protection – _was he what she associated with those words? Obviously so_, she thought.

It felt so good to stand under the hot jets – it almost felt like they were washing away the horrible things she had said and done, the running away, the tequila, the tattoo parlor…it helped immensely.

She was still upset about what she had seen Damon do to that man in the tattoo shop – she had never seen a human murdered in front of her, and she had known at that moment that she would never forget the horrific sight that had taken place in front of her several hours before. The image of the man's panicked eyes while he lived his last moments floated to the front of his mind. Watching Damon stab the knife into his chest to complete the murder scene had been the final straw for her. She was done acting like nothing and no one mattered. It was time to face the music.

Damon wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to live like that. Killing mercilessly, flitting from city to city, having no truth or consequences for his actions…suddenly, none of that seemed entertaining at all. It seemed like a horrible way to float through existence. Instead of having a fun night out to be free and party, she felt hollow…empty…guilty…and dirty.

She grabbed some soap, rubbing it around on her body. Tilting her head back, she rinsed some of it off, reveling in the pleasant feeling of it sliding down her body, washing away all of the bad things that had happened. Sure, it was like figuratively washing away all the bad, but it still felt good to be under the hot water.

When all the soap was gone from her hair and body, she was still reluctant to leave the hot, soothing streams of water. Oddly enough, it was the first time she had felt somewhat soothed in the past few days. True, the tequila had helped her relax and have fun, but the warmth and steam of the shower had truly helped her calm down and unwind.

Looking to the side, her eyes focused on the slick black tile of the shower wall. Pressing her pale hand against it, she firmly gripped it in frustration as she watched the beads of water trickle down the surface. Suddenly, all she wanted was to be home, in Forks, with Jacob. Tinges of guilt seeped into her mind as she thought about Stefan and how she had left their relationship. However, she knew after being away from her situation that her heart ached for only one thing.

_Jacob. _

Sadly, it was not Stefan's cool touch that she yearned for as she breathed in the steam from the shower while the streams of hot water hit her body. It was definitely Jacob.

But how could she be so sure? When Jacob was away at college and she was so angry with him, Stefan had come to her rescue and she had barely given Jacob another thought. Was it fair to cast him aside so easily?

Shaking her head, she silently vowed to stop the childish behavior of dangling them in front of each other like a cruel witch. That was not how she wanted to be known for the rest of her existence; and she didn't think that Stefan deserved her cruelty any longer.

His face appeared on her closed eyelids, his hauntingly beautiful eyes seemed boring into her. From the look he was giving her, even he knew that she wasn't' being honest with him. The memory of their last walk together across the tundra just days before swam into her thoughts. She had hugged him and assured him that everything was just fine. How would he view her now that her mind had changed? In her heart, she knew that she would never be able to give Stefan more than just half of her heart, for it had become obvious in the past few days that it clearly belonged to someone else.

Her hand still gripped the tiles as she stood there under the water. The stress and anxiety from the past few weeks suddenly began to almost boil under her alabaster skin, making it crawl with uneasiness. From habit, she closed her eyes and began to picture Jacob's smiling, warm face. In her mind's eye, her glance shifted downwards to his broad, tan chest and rippling muscles that made her feel so safe when they held her. A stony embrace could not compare to the feeling of Jacob's huge, strong arms encircling her and making her feel whole.

Nothing could get to her when she was in those arms – nothing.

She bit her lip as she began to think about the kiss they shared in the woods. Her thoughts grew more and more melancholy as Renesmee realized that she would rather be in Jacob's arms at that moment, warm and safe and happy, than anywhere else in the world. Memories of being enclosed in his arms as his lovely hot mouth pressed wantonly up against hers surged through her, and her body began to react.

Leaning back against the shower wall, her teeth scraped against the skin of her bottom lip as she let her other hand roam down to rest on her abdomen. In her mind, she watched from a short distance as her memory replayed the scene that night in the woods before Jacob left. _His hands brushing against her waist as he pulled up against him…the way his breath felt against her face right before he pressed his mouth gently to hers…the warmth of his body as it moved flush against her…._

The pictures in her mind were almost overwhelming to see again. Over and over she replayed those all too short moments, reveling in the idea of being with him like that again. It was almost too much for her to even think about without exploding. Slowly, her hand moved down from her abdomen to the place where she wanted to be touched the most by him.

Her lust-filled thoughts worked with her body as she let the fantasy overtake her. Suddenly, it wasn't her shaking hand there, it was his.

In her mind, she let the vision overtake all rational thought about the night she had just had, and tried to relax. _Jacob, pressed against her under the hot streams of water, the steam surrounding them as they kissed._ It was almost too much to think about, but she couldn't shake the image of his tan body in its entire muscled splendor as she imagined it. She let that thought guide her as she stood there, letting the hot water pour over her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x

Jacob lunged at Stefan's throat, a ferocious growl ripping from his chest. Stefan's eyes grew wide for a split second before he pulled his hand back and swung at Jacob's chest. Collin winced as the stony vampire arm came in contact with his Alpha's chest, a dull 'thud' echoing against the rocks.

"Fuck," he muttered, ripping off his clothes. Jacob barely paid attention as Collin phased and began to run in the direction of home.

"Back off!" Stefan snarled, his adrenaline rushing through his icy veins. He had never really fought as a vampire before, but he could definitely tell why some vampires enjoyed it. It was exhilarating to be able to move that fast and be able to hit that hard.

Jacob fell back to the other side of the rock face after the blow, but simply stumbled for a second before getting up again. He snarled, bits of froth falling from his jaws as he snapped at the vampire in front of him.

Stefan felt his instincts take over as he slapped his teeth together, the sound bouncing off the rocks beside them in a menacing manner. The strange new noise of his vampire-style threat pleased him as he circled the large wolf in front of him.

_Am I crazy to be fighting this monster in front of me? He could kill me if I'm not careful…then where would I be? If I killed him though….Renesmee would have to pick me….but would that be fair? I don't want to hurt her…_

His quick mind raced as he continued to circle him. Both opponents continued to growl and glower at each other as they moved on the rocky ground, neither one caring that their fight was completely irresponsible and careless.

He moved closer, taunting him as he lunged forward, then fell back. He did this in several short bursts of speed to test his opponent; Jacob's fast eyes followed him easily.

While most of his mind concentrated on the snarling wolf in front of him, the rest of it moved to think about the idea of spending eternity alone, without Renesmee. _He would no longer see her long, flowing copper curls, her warm, human like brown eyes…her fluttering heartbeat would never speed up as he kissed her soft mouth…._

_No, _he growled to himself. She would be his.

"What are you waiting for? If you want her so bad, you're gonna have to fight for her," Stefan finally said, swiping at Jacob.

The wolf in front of him lunged at him suddenly, snarling and spitting as he moved across the short distance. Their bodies collided with a crash, sending them both rolling backwards into the rocky walls of the mountainside.

Jacob's jaws snapped mercilessly as he struggled to focus on the blur he was rolling with. Stefan growled in response, sending his stony fists into his back and chest, over and over. It felt like he was getting pelted with bullets again and again as they collided.

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled up and away from the enemy in front of him. He blinked several times rapidly, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Enough!" a voice roared.

Jacob sense Collin as his wolf mind began to form coherent thoughts again, and he watched through Collin's eyes as Emmett and Rosalie both grabbed his snarling body and pulled him from Stefan. Eleazar and Jasper grabbed onto Stefan, pulling him away and pinning him against the rock face. Both Stefan and wolf-Jacob struggled against the captors, snarling and growling at each other.

"Enough!" Edward repeated, standing between them. He held out his hands to stop them, giving them both stern warning glances.

"Stefan, if you do not stop this, I will have Jasper remove your arms for you until you can control yourself. Jacob, if you also cannot control yourself, I will have Emmett break your wrists. Am I clear?" he asked, looking at them both.

Jacob stopped growling, and Stefan halted his snapping teeth, both boys finally stilling.

"Phase back," Edward shouted at Jacob. Jacob shook his wolf head.

_There's no way I'm phasing back with that fucked up excuse for a leech standing right there, waiting to take my head off. No way, Edward,_ Jacob thought bitterly.

Emmett and Rosalie lowered him to the ground to stand on all fours, but their stony fists held him in impenetrable marble handcuffs. What he wouldn't do at that moment to rip them both to shreds.

"Control yourself," Edward warned, scanning Jacob's thoughts.

Jacob felt his tail twitch in an annoyed manner, his eyes glazing over with hate and loathing for the vampires in front of him.

"Phase back," Edward repeated. Jacob shuddered, and eventually his body rose up onto two legs, Rosalie and Emmett still holding on tight.

"Get him some clothes," Rosalie spat, yanking his wrists behind his back. Jacob growled in warning, but let her do it. Bella appeared in the clearing, along with Alice.

"Why didn't you stop this?" Edward snapped at his sister. Alice looked insulted for a split second, and then a fire ignited behind her golden eyes.

"It would have happened either way," she said through her clenched jaws. Edward shook his head, his hand connecting with his tousled bronzed hair as he grabbed a fistful of it. Everyone in the clearing froze, waiting for him to speak.

"What were you two thinking?" he said quietly, looking at each of them. Bella tossed Jacob a pair of jeans, and he pulled them on with lightning speed. Collin shifted uncomfortably as Edward's annoyed gaze met his.

"He started it," Jacob growled. Edward tossed him a disapproving glance, and Jacob's eyes fell to the ground.

"Very mature," Edward replied coolly.

What he did next surprised Jacob almost more than anything.

"Stefan…Jacob could have easily killed you. He has more battle experience, and has killed many of our kind over the years. It is not wise to antagonize an already irritated werewolf."

"I understand, Edward," Stefan responded quietly, his own chin drooping down to almost touch his chest.

"Jacob could have ended your life before he even realized it. Werewolves often act before they think, and you could have ended up dead. Next time…you might not be so lucky. Collin could have attacked you as well…and I commend him for doing the right thing," Edward said pointedly at the younger wolf. Collin nodded, averting his eyes from Edward's piercing gaze.

Edward turned back to Jacob. "I shouldn't even have to say anything to you at this point," he said. Jacob gave him a cool nod, but said nothing in response. He gave Stefan a blank glare, and Stefan returned it.

"Enough of this. We have enough problems on our hands. We don't need you two trying to kill each other," he said.

Their vampire captors soon released them, and they all began the run back to the house. Eleazar ran beside Stefan in the rear left, and Bella ran beside Jacob to the lead right of their group.

Once they were back at the house, Jacob tried to storm in to talk to his pack, but a stony hand darted out and stopped him. He looked into Bella's eyes, suddenly confused.

"Jacob, when will this end?"

He shook his head, glancing up at the clouded sky as he placed his hands on his hips. He knew Bella had been out on her own for almost two days now, doing her own patrol for her daughter while the rest of the family waited to hear any word from her.

Shaking his head, he looked back down at her after a few moments.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I just don't know."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She wrapped a towel around her body, pulling the fluffy white cotton taut against her pale skin. Wringing out her hair, she quickly combed it and slipped into one of the white robes that were hanging on the back of the door. Once she was dried and ready to finally get some sleep, she opened the door and was shocked to see Damon sitting at the dining table in the center of the large room.

His nostrils flared as the steam from her shower rolled out, and a sly smile appeared on his lips.

"That was a rather long shower, Renesmee," he crooned, flashing over to her. She sucked in a breath of surprise, her brown eyes wide.

He leaned to the side of her, his eyes falling on the bathroom as he pieced together what she had just done in the shower.

"Thinking of me, were we?" He chuckled, raising one perfect eyebrow at her. Renesmee did her best growl, pushing past him.

"Oh, come on!" he pleaded, throwing up his hands. "You're not still mad about the tattooed guy, are you?"

Renesmee glared at him as she flopped down on the bed. "Okay, so you are…damn conscience," he muttered, stroking his chin. He peeled off his leather jacket, tossing it on the chair beside him.

"You killed a man, Damon. And I'm guessing that while you were out these past few hours, I'm betting you killed several more people," she snapped at him.

Damon spun on his heel to face away from her, throwing his hands up in the air again.

"Renesmee, you kill me!" he growled. Glancing back over his shoulder, he smirked. "Oh wait…no, you don't."

Renesmee huffed and pulled her towel tighter around her body. She just wanted to put on some clothes and go home. Damon stared at her, tilting his head inquisitively.

"You've never wanted to feed?"

"I feed all the time," she insisted. "I just don't murder people."

Damon chuckled at her as he walked closer, running his hands along the glass table in the hotel room. "Yes, but you haven't ever fed as a real vampire before. Don't you ever wonder what it's like?"

"Absolutely not," she snapped. "That's disgusting."

"Disgusting because you can't do it, or disgusting because you don't enjoy human blood?"

Renesmee froze. "I never said I didn't enjoy human blood, -"

"Ah, so you do like it!" he laughed. "Well now, that's just very, very interesting, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You admit that you like it, so why deny yourself human blood?"

She shook her head, waving him off. "Damon, it's been a long night," she said, glancing at the windows. The sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon, and the events of the night were starting to wear on her.

"Fine, fine," he said, holding up his hands. "I can see when my advice isn't needed. But just consider it," he said. "It's what you were meant to do Renesmee. Why deny yourself? You already have the burden of living forever with the thirst. Why suffer?"

She swallowed as he spoke, remembering the dull burn in the back of her throat. Normally it didn't bother her that much and she could actually forget about it. But she hadn't hunted in over a week and her throat was starting to get the familiar singed feeling it got between feedings.

"I just want to go to sleep, Damon," she finally said. "Can you just leave me alone? I've had a long night, and I…I just don't need this," she said, yanking the covers back from the bed.

"Care if I join you?" He asked, his voice dripping with sexiness. She glared at him, her exhaustion and now her thirst making her crabby. She was definitely in no mood to hear anything else from him.

"I just want to sleep," she reiterated firmly, giving him another annoyed glance.

He laughed, winking. He left the room again, and she felt another shiver go down her spine as she thought about where he was going. He was definitely up to no good, she knew that much.

She climbed into bed, pulling the fluffy hotel robe around her body as she settled down into the mattress. It felt like she hadn't slept in years. As she tried to drift to sleep for the second time that night, her mind went back to what Damon had said to her in the bar, even if it was said in a drunken haze.

Was she really infertile? It certainly made sense. Once she had turned seven, she was supposed to stop changing and be considered full grown. Certainly a woman who's body didn't change wouldn't be able to have children. _Did that bother her? Should it bother her?  
_  
Honestly, she had never even had enough time to worry about whether or not she could have children. Just three years ago she was begging Alice to help her buy her first training bra! And just one year ago she had gotten her first two piece swimming suit. Things just felt like they went by way too rapidly to worry about motherhood. Did she even want children? Personally, she felt too young to even have to worry about it.

However, now that the idea had been potentially taken away from her, she felt herself start to panic. What if Damon was right – what if she really was like a mule? An infertile, genetic dead end? Of course, there was a possibility he was wrong, but the way her gut was twisting into knots told her that he wasn't.

Her mind raced as she shifted her thoughts to Jacob. Even if he hadn't imprinted on some other girl, and he still wanted her – who would want a barren woman? Guiltily, her thoughts shifted to her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Those men seemed to want her aunts and grandmother, even though they couldn't have children, right? She had to admit to herself that they seemed alright with the idea that they couldn't even have kids, but how did she feel about it? And was that how they really felt? Renesmee wasn't sure.

What she did know was that the possibility of being unable to have children wouldn't help her chances with Jacob when the rest of his pack was busy having babies and living normal lives with their imprints. How could she possibly compete with that?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob glared at Stefan as he stalked out of the house. He slammed the front door behind him, making the frame tremble.

"Do I really have to tell you not to glare at him like a little child?" Edward snapped, appearing in the entryway of the Great Room.

Jacob said nothing. He only frowned at Edward and kept flipping the channels on the TV. Collin sat next to him, the two of them lounging on the large leather sofas that were in the center of the room.

The Great Room was the first thing people saw when entering the Denali house. It was the largest room in the house, right off the front door. It was a huge A-frame shape, rising up all three stories of the house into a pointed peak with large glass windows lining the back wall that boasted a view of the large back yard. The walls of the room were all exposed log cabin style wood, complete with an antler chandelier hanging down in the center of the room. On one side was a door to the backyard, above it the staircase that led to the second floor. The upstairs hallway looked out over the Great Room, complete with a wooden railing. On the other side of the room held a giant stone fireplace with an impressive mantle. Above it was Jacob's favorite thing: one of the biggest flat screen televisions he had ever seen.

He was already annoyed that day. Everyone in his pack had imprinted except for Collin, and they were off in different places in the house talking giddily on their cell phones to their imprints. As if that wasn't irritating enough, he was forced to shake hands with Stefan and call a truce, even though he still wanted to kill the bastard.

"Jake, it'll be alright," Collin muttered, picking up a People magazine from the coffee table.

Jacob rolled his eyes at Collin's selection, but said nothing. He flipped through he channels, trying his best to ignore Edward. He just wasn't in the mood for a vampire pep talk.

"Well that's too bad," Edward replied, scanning his thoughts. Jacob growled absently, his eyes still glued to the flat screen.

"Be glad you haven't imprinted…its hell," Jacob mumbled to Collin for Edward's benefit.

"Jacob," Edward warned, walking over to the chair beside them.

Collin watched him out of the corner of his eye, and Edward gave him a tight smile. He knew that he and his family made Collin nervous, and he tried to be as gracious as he could about it.

"Jacob, if you're going to be here with Stefan, you have to behave and try your best not to antagonize him."

"I'm not leaving," Jacob said, whipping his head around too look at Edward.

"I didn't say you had to leave, I just said that if you're going to stay here, you need to try to at least act like an adult."

"You vamps drive me nuts," he said through his clenched teeth. "always sticking up for each other – like I don't even matter!"

A confused expression crossed Edward's features. "What on earth…?"

Jacob huffed as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table in front of him. "If you would have never run up here to Denali, let her hang out with that newborn leech, and maybe kept on eye on her, this would have never happened. I mean, didn't Alice see this coming?"

"She saw some of it…but Jacob…we can't stop Renesmee from living life just because it makes you cranky. She needed to get away from Forks to try to…mend."

"Mend, my ass. She ran off to stir up trouble, and that's exactly what she did. Alice should have stopped this."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes in frustration with Jacob. "Jacob, I already think that we rely on Alice too much as it is."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked suddenly, sitting up.

Edward looked at him pointedly. "Things have slipped through the cracks when it comes to Alice's visions. We have no way of knowing that she's always going to be correct. It's not fair to blame her-"

"Wait, what are you saying? Are you saying that Alice's visions could be wrong?"

"No, not at all. I just think that we rely on her a little too much at times, and that's not fair with her. Now, that's something I had to come to terms with long ago and I think you should, too. Alice can't stop Renesmee from having real life experiences – that's what got us into so much trouble now. "

"So?"

"So, I realize now that I shouldn't have been so tight with her. Perhaps if we'd let her explore more and be her own person this wouldn't have happened…this running away business."

"Tell me about it," Jacob huffed.

"Well, I can see that you're in no mood to discuss this tonight," Edward finally said, standing up.

He gave Jacob one last disgruntled look before stalking off to a different part of the house.

Jacob rolled his eyes, looking over at Collin. "What do you think?" he asked his pack mate.

"About them relying on Alice too much?" Collin asked.

Jacob nodded.

"Well…he could be right. I mean…look what happened the last time there was a big war. She knew she was looking for that Chile-vamp, but then again…didn't she say she didn't know it?"

"What's your point?" Jacob frowned.

Collin shrugged, furrowing his own eyebrows together. "Well…would she know to look for something she couldn't really see? She hasn't before. Her finding that other half-vamp was kind of a coincidence that she found on a hunch."

Jacob contemplated Collin's words, for he did have a point. Alice had stumbled across Nahuel and his sisters on accident. She had gotten a hunch from Edward after he remembered talking to the Isle Esme housekeeper…and then she had gone. Jacob remembered that Alice talked about it like she hadn't known what to look for.

_That makes sense though. She missed it at first because she didn't know what to look for. Not that I can blame her – how would I expect something if I didn't even know __**what t**__o expect? It would be impossible to see…_ he thought.

As he settled back into the couch, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee looked up from her plate of pancakes, eyeing Damon suspiciously.

He was sitting across the table watching her eat, and making her feel quite uncomfortable in the process.

"What?" she asked, scooping another forkful into her mouth. Damon watched her chew, wincing slightly more with each bite.

"How can you stand it?" he finally asked, glancing down at the coffee in front of him. She watched as he pushed it slightly further away from him with the back of his hand. His nostrils twitched as he watched her eat.

"Food?"

He nodded.

"Simple…some of it's actually good," she said, taking a sip of her juice.

"I have no idea how I ate human food for twenty years. Ulgh!" he groaned, leaning closer to her plate. He sniffed delicately, making a face. "Disgusting. It's all…mush and clumpy. Don't you wish you could have some-"

"Damon!" she hissed, her brown eyes wide. "We're in public," she said, her voice too low for human ears. He glared at her, then at the humans around them. However, he didn't have to speak for her to know what he was talking about.

Blood.

"I know, I know," he said, rolling his eyes at her. She had insisted that he use contacts again, as his eyes were glowing red when she woke up later that morning.

"So are you hung-over?" he asked.

"Me? No," she admitted.

"Wow, what I wouldn't give to feel a good hangover again..."

"When would you want to feel sick and dehydrated?"

"Because," he said, leaning across the table. "That means you had one hell of a night."

She laughed, but stopped herself. She didn't want to encourage him; she was already nervous enough that he would do something else rash and dangerous. It was a cloudy morning when she woke up, and her stomach had been growling in protest, along with her burning, thirsty throat. Figuring it was best to quench at least one, they had found an IHOP and gotten her some food.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked, watching her drink her juice. She shrugged, putting the glass back down on the table.

"Yeah, but the juice is good. I might get some coffee before we leave."

Damon laughed at her. "That's not what I was saying," he said, his voice low. She stopped chewing her food and froze, watching him as he glanced around the restaurant. Suddenly, she felt worried for the people around her.

She ate and they sat there in silence, occasionally making small talk. Unfortunately, Damon was very charming and personable, making him easy to like. However, the fact that he misbehaved and killed humans was something that she was having a hard time understanding.

"Don't your parents have friends who are blood drinkers?" he said, his voice low and quick.

In her mind, she thought of several friends of her parents who were traditional vampires. Many of them had gone 'vegetarian' over the years after meeting the Cullens. Some, however, did not.

"Yes," she answered. "But….they're very careful about who they choose."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I can't wait to hear this."

She bit her lip and her eyes fell to the table. "Most of them hunt carefully. They choose the people that society won't miss. Most of my parents' friends drink from criminals and bad people," she admitted.

"So that makes it okay?"

"I never said that!" she snapped, stabbing at another forkful of pancakes. "I just said that's what they do. I've never done it, and I never plan to."

"Incredible," he muttered, shaking his head. His eyes scanned the small restaurant, and she found her stomach start to feel nervous – _what was Damon planning?_ She followed his eyes, but saw nothing out of order.

"I'm done. I'm gonna run to the bathroom, please stay out of trouble," she pleaded as she stood up. Damon rolled his eyes at her.

"You know, you're starting to sound like a mom…oh wait…sorry," he said sarcastically. She knew that he was referring to their conversation about her possible infertility the night before. Her face fell, and she felt a humiliated feeling sink into her stomach.

"Whatever," she hissed, stalking off in the direction of the bathroom. She hadn't been in there for two minutes when she smelled something while washing her hands.

Blood. Not only that…_fresh blood._

Her throat began to burn as she swallowed several times, trying to soothe the flames that began to roar up at the scent. _Where was that coming from?_ Following her nose, she pinpointed that it was coming from the men's room next door, which was locked. She looked around, saw that she was alone, and gave the door a strong pull. The steel bolt cracked in half, splintering as she yanked it open. The smell of the fresh blood hit her instantly, and she had to blink several times to clear her steadily clouding thoughts.

_Get control of yourself,_ she chanted in her mind_. This is human blood, therefore, not an option._

She saw Damon in front of the bathroom sinks, holding a dead teenage boy in his arms. The teen was slumped over, and she couldn't see his face; the only thing she could really focus on was the blood oozing out of the fresh bite mark on his neck. Damon licked the blood from his lips, his eyes glowing through his disintegrated blue contacts.

She watched as he lifted the teen's wrist, bit a gash in it, and held out the bleeding arm towards her. Renesmee recoiled, wincing and closing her eyes at the scent. He smelled _so good_, and she wanted nothing more than to just _try_ it.

"Saved some for you. Thought we could share," he said, lowering his mouth to the boy's neck. Damon clenched him like a rag doll as he licked at the blood seeping out of the bite.

"Damon," she gasped, her voice just above a whisper. Her heart was thrumming and her throat had ignited into flames of pain and hunger. It was almost too much to bear.

Swallowing again in an attempt to sooth her throat, she felt her body begin to move forward. Damon chuckled, holding out the boy's wrist for her. She watched as a drop of blood rolled down one of his fingers and fell painstakingly to the floor. Her eyes focused on the next drop as it made its way down his same finger…and this one she reached out and caught on the tip of her own finger.

She held her hand up to her face, admiring the bright crimson color of the liquid drop on the pad of her finger. It called to her. Her eyes moved to look at the gash Damon had ripped in his wrist, and she felt her throat burn even more. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

"You know you want to," Damon taunted her. "Just do it. Try it. You'll like it…trust me," he sneered, lowering his head to feed.

She stared at him as he drank, his eyes closing in relief and joy as the boy's blood warmed him. It wasn't even possible to imagine how good that blood felt as it swirled in his mouth and flowed down his throat, quenching the flames of thirst and warming his entire body.

_Maybe just a little…he's already dead…it won't hurt to try…I'm sure almost everyone has tried it once…_

"No!" she heard herself gasp.

Her own voice echoing off the tiled bathroom walls brought her back to reality. She couldn't feed from that boy – it wasn't right. That would make her a monster, just like Damon. There were a lot of things she didn't know at the moment, but she did know that she didn't want to be like that. There was another option.

"You disgust me," she whispered, and then turned and fled the bathroom.

With trembling hands, she returned to the table to sit. She felt sick.

Damon returned almost ten minutes later, keeping his eyes down as he walked to the table. He sat down across from her, folding his hands in front of him. "Well...I'm full," he replied, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Renesmee closed her eyes briefly and said a silent prayer of hope for the teenage boy in the bathroom that she had almost fed on, and pressed her lips together.

"Damon…the body?" she whispered.

"Taken care of. What am I, new at this?" he laughed.

"I don't want to know," she said softly.

Damon chuckled. "No, you certainly don't."

She tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach and the burning in her throat as he paid the bill and they returned to the hotel.

She sat down on the floor in front of the hotel bed, covering her face with her hands. All she could picture was that boy's family as they waited for him in the IHOP, never knowing that he wouldn't return, and he would most likely never be found. A wave of despair washed over her as she thought about how close she had just come to feeding from him. She was sure she had never felt worse in her life, not even when Jacob had left her.

"Do you hate me?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft and concerned. Jerking her head up from her hands, she realized that he was sitting on the floor across from her. His red eyes glowed as he stared at her, and she could feel her stomach churn. His eyes were glowing with that boy's blood… that poor, murdered boy's blood.

"I don't hate anyone," she answered. Her grandfather Carlisle had taught her long ago that holding hate in her heart would only hurt her and hold her back in the long run.

"It sure seems that way," he answered. "I just…I just wanted you to try it. I am actually sorry…I know, not like me to apologize, right? But I am sorry for…forcing it on you. That wasn't fair," he admitted.

She looked at him, trying to decide whether or not his confession was sincere. With Damon, it was hard to tell sometimes.

"I just wanted you to have some fun, Renesmee. I'm new at this vampire thing," he admitted. "Can you forgive me?"

She sighed, debating what she should say. She wasn't quite ready to forgive him, but she didn't want to upset him either. There was no telling what Damon would do.

"I'll forgive you," she said slowly, looking up at him. His face softened, and he looked almost…sexy.

Frowning, she tried to push the thought from her head as she stood up, adjusting her top nervously. Damon bolted up to stand beside her, his eyes wide and worried.

"Something wrong?" he asked quickly, placing his hand on her arm. A jolt of excitement ran up her arm at his touch, and she instantly felt disgusted with herself. She had just watched him commit several murders, both of which horrified her. So why was she suddenly feeling so strange when he touched her?

"Yeah, its fine just…ease up while I'm around?" she pleaded.

Damon's face fell. "You mean…you don't want to be around me? What's with that?" he prodded, stepping closer to her.

She backed up in response, not sure how to react to him. "No, it's just that….I can't be around you when you do that. I don't believe in it…and…I'm thirsty as it is," she said.

Damon nodded, heaving a sigh. "I suppose if I can't convince you to try it…"

"I don't want to try it," she gently reminded him. He looked up at her, smiling with his impressively white teeth.

"So you're not mad?"

She debated for a second, but shook her head. "I mean…you're young, and still wild. You shouldn't be in a city like this until you learn to control your thirst better. I guess it's not...entirely your fault," she admitted.

Damon watched her for a second, his crimson eyes burning into hers.

"I could help you, you know," she added. "If you come home with me, we could teach you how to control it."

Damon still stared at her, his face changing as he visibly considered her offer. His expression was softer…different…almost human. Then, a conflicted look colored his features as he frowned.

"You would do that for me?" he asked. "Really?"

She nodded. "Of course I would. I mean…you haven't even had a chance to be good yet. You've only known how to be a wild nomad."

Damon continued to stare at her, his face now clearly in awe. In one swift motion, he pinned her against the glass windows overlooking the busy city. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him, unsure of what to say. Her heart started to pound as he moved closer.

"You really are…one of a kind," he breathed before pressing his mouth against hers. She gasped against his lips as they moved, and her heart began to pump even faster as she panicked. She really hadn't expected him to kiss her – at least not like this.

His lips molded with hers and she moaned slightly as his hands snaked around her waist and held her against his stony body. His manly, clean smell surrounded her, further intoxicating her senses as his cool, marble lips moved against her own. It felt like it had been ages since she had kissed anyone like this, and she had to admit that kissing Damon was an entirely new experience. Even though he felt like Stefan, her senses confirmed to her that he definitely was not.

Her skin sparkled with a dangerous yet pleasant electricity. No, this kiss was much different than the kisses she had shared with his brother.

_His brother! I'm kissing Stefan's bother_! She thought, shame coursing through her. At that moment, Damon's cool tongue moved to lick across her bottom lip, making her shiver. His hands made their way up the back of her shirt, giving her goose bumps as he kissed her. Their mouths moved together for a few more moments before she jumped and shoved him away.

"Wait," she gasped, licking her bottom lip where his tongue has just been. Her throat began to twitch and burn as a familiar, yet slightly foreign taste saturated her mouth. She looked up at Damon, who was still panting a few feet from her.

"What's wrong?" he asked coyly.

She tasted her lips again, and her eyes widened. She could taste the blood of the young boy on her tongue, and she instantly grabbed at her throbbing throat with a gasp.

Damon watched her, his eyes sizzling with triumph. "See? Good, isn't it?"

Renesmee hissed at him, her vampire senses spurring her forward. "You disgust me," she spat at him, shoving by him. Damon laughed at her, irritating her even more.

"That's not the vibe I got thirty seconds ago," he replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He looked at her, his expression suddenly sinister.

"I want to go home," she said firmly, picking up her shoes from the foot of the bed.

Damon reached out and grasped her around the wrist. "I'm afraid that's not going to be possible."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Dun dun dun….Well what do you know, Renesmee has gotten herself in a pickle yet again. What do you think will happen?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter – I'm loving that in your reviews, most of you are realizing that Renesmee is wising up and finally maturing as a person and as a vampire during her time with Damon. See? I told you she would!

**This fic is getting a spinoff, and that's coming in September. Gold star to the person who guesses who the spinoff star is! **

Also, have you read my new Seth fic? It's a rated M fic, so beware – Seth is 27 in it. It's called **'Love This Pain' **and is on my profile. It is a separate fic from Untouchable and has nothing to do with it though – several of you have already asked. Okay? Untouchable and Love This Pain are in NO WAY related. 

As always, leave me your thoughts in a review! **Reviews equal more updates, so review review review! : )**


	34. say that we'll be together,

I know you don't mean to be mean to me  
'Cause when you want to you can make me feel like we belong  
I wish you were where you're supposed to be, close to me  
You say you'll call, but I know you  
You say you're coming home, but I know you won't

You say you'll come but I know you won't

I Know You Won't – Carrie Underwood

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A HUGE thank you goes out to my fellow Jake/Nessie author and friend **kmddeprez1122** for filling in as a beta this week while my normal beta is on summer vaca. I wasn't planning on updating while she was gone, but I had the chapter done and didn't want to make you guys wait any longer.

**Also, if you have a second please vote for my Alice in the 'What About Alice?' contest! Voting is 1 more day, so please go vote! Details on my profile page. Pretty please? I'm shameless, I know. **

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"W-what do you mean?" she stuttered. It had taken her a few seconds for her voice to come back to her. As Damon watched her, the hotel room became deafeningly silent.

"You can't go home," he said, his voice softer suddenly. His glowing red eyes bore into her brown ones, making her start to shake. A feeling of doom settled over the still room, and her heart began to thrum consistently faster.

He dropped his head slightly, his eyes falling to his feet. He sighed, and then stepped closer to her as if he was upset. "Renesmee…you can't go back home," he said again.

"What are you talking about? I want to go home, Damon, let's leave now!" she begged. "Why won't you take me?"

He looked up at her, his red eyes hard. "Because…I just can't," he answered.

His expression was conflicted and morose; she was instantly confused.

"Alice said that she saw you bringing me back when the weekend is over. It's Sunday now, and it will take us all day to drive back. I want to go home now," she repeated firmly.

Her insides were churning against the lining of her stomach, making her sick. Suddenly, she had a very bad feeling about this.

"Yes…that is what she saw," he admitted, running his hand through his tousled dark brown hair. "But that's not what's going to happen."

Her stomach felt like it dropped to her feet. "W-what are you talking about? No…no, Alice saw you bringing me back."

Damon glared up at her, his hand dropping to his side. "Yes, your Alice saw me bringing you back with her gift. Did it ever occur to you, Renesmee, that she is not the only one with a gift?"

"You're a shield, I know it," she answered. "Eleazar said you were some sort of shield. So?"

"So…like I said, Alice isn't the only one with special twists to her talent."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said. Eleazar thinks I'm a shield –"

"Wait, thinks?"

"You didn't let me finish," Damon snapped. "I left Denali before I had a grasp on my gift – all I cared about at first was the thirst…but once I got away and got things figured out, I worked on my talent. Eleazar didn't know exactly what I was right away; I learned that gifts take awhile to develop. Well…I figured out that I was a shield, but also with another twist to it."

"What are you talking about?" she whispered. She suddenly felt sick.

"Think about it, Renesmee. I'm actually surprised you didn't figure it out sooner."

Her mind raced to try to figure out what Damon was saying, but she was coming up blank. "I'm confused. You're a shield but…"

"True. I'm a shield…but I can not only block other vampire's talents, like your father for example..."

"How did you know what my father can do?"

"Eleazar spoke of the Cullens many times when I was new. Now to what I was saying," he sneered at her.

Renesmee's eyes glazed over as terror settled over her. It all made sense suddenly.

"Alice saw you bring me home because that's what you wanted her to see," she mumbled, her eyes wide. "You made her see that."

Damon nodded. "I did make her see that."

"So you're…you're a shield that can project things onto it? You can make people see things that you want them to see?"

"Yup," he responded, cocking and eyebrow at her. "If I let Edward 'read' my mind, I can make him hear what I want him to hear. If Alice can see me, she can see what I want her to see. Your uncle Jasper – I can make him feel whatever I want him to think I'm feeling. It kicks ass to be talented, aren't you jealous?" he taunted her.

Renesmee bit her lip as she thought about how she had neglected to fill Damon in on her own gift. Had Eleazar really not mentioned it to him? Surely Damon would have said something about it by now if he knew.

"You lied," she whispered, looking up to meet his crimson eyes. Damon chuckled, slapping his hands together.

"I don't care to think of it that way…I like to make it seem like I was just…elusive."

"Damon…this is bad. What…what are you going to do?"

Damon watched her, his hardened expression changing. "I plan to do with you what I should have done several days ago," he answered solemnly.

Renesmee felt her heart explode with fear and worry.

"I want to go home," she repeated. "Now!"

Damon shook his head as she stepped closer to her. Suddenly, his presence wasn't exciting, it wasn't intoxicating, and it sure as hell wasn't fun. It was terrifying.

She was stupid to think she could run with a real vampire – she was only half. It was pure idiocy on her part to think that she would be okay with a nomad that she knew nothing about. Her foolishness felt like it had reeled back and slapped her across the face. It felt as though all of her stupid decisions and actions from the past few months were staring her right in the face, mocking her.

She felt like she was going to pass out.

"Let me go," she whispered, jumping when he appeared toe to toe with her.

"I told you, I can't do that," he replied.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes meeting his. "You don't even say that like you mean it," she said softly, trying to keep her calm.

Damon exhaled, blowing his sweet breath on her face. "I don't. But it's what I have to do," he admitted, his expression soft.

Seconds later, it hardened again, the same menacing, evil expression replacing it. "And so I will."

Renesmee whimpered, her hands starting to shake. "I just want to go home. Please don't do this – whatever you're planning to do. Just please don't…Damon…I…I know you're better than this."

He turned away from her quickly to face the windows lining the end of the room. "You're wrong, Renesmee. I'm a vampire…a monster. But what I can't get is how you deny yourself that. How do you do it? You go against everything we stand for."

Renesmee set her jaw defiantly. "It's so that I'm not like you," she replied firmly. Damon snorted, turning back to face her.

"What are you going to do with me, now that you've betrayed me?" she asked.

"That's for me to know…" he answered. "I just hope you'll manage to forgive me someday."

"What are you talking about? What are you going to do with me?"

"Maybe in a few centuries…you'll understand why I did this. When time has passed and things are still the same, maybe you'll see why this was my only option for a better life here, if this is what I am doomed to be," he answered.

Renesmee frowned, upset that he was still practically speaking in riddles.

They were silent for a few moments. She stood frozen in the center of the hotel room, Damon on the opposite side, looking out at the skyline. Silently, she turned towards the door and prepared to flee. This was her only chance.

"I wouldn't do that," he sneered, flashing around her to stand in front of the door. She sucked in a breath, shocked that he had moved so fast. This wasn't going to work. _She was really in trouble now…_

Her body slumped in despair, tears welling up in her eyes. The weight of the past few days suddenly came crashing down on her, and all she wanted right now was the safety of her mother and father's embrace…Jacob's warm arms….It all suddenly seemed so far away.

Several hours later, she was slumped against the far side of the bed, sitting on the floor. She was staring out the panel of glass windows that overlooked the city of Vancouver, which was bustling even on that cloudy Sunday morning. Her mind had been racing as she sat there, trying to figure out several things.

First, she had no idea where Damon was planning on taking her. Second, she had a feeling she didn't' want to know, since he didn't even seem too happy about it. Finally, she had to figure out how to contact her family to let them know where she was and how to save her. Damon had been pacing in front of the hotel room door for almost half an hour, clearly debating what his next move would be. She peeked over her shoulder and above the bed to watch as he walked, deep in thought.

How could she have thought running away with that monster had been a good idea? Shaking her head at herself, she hung it in shame as she let embarrassment and shame burn through her.

_Why did I have to get so far away from home and do something so idiotic and irresponsible to realize that I've got to change?_ She thought.

Her eyes fell on her hands, which were the center of her gift. Fuming silently, she gritted her teeth and pouted. Why couldn't' she have some cool gift like some of the other vampires she knew? Why could she shock people like Kate? Or cause them pain like Jane could? Or incapacitate them like Zafrina?

_Wait…_

Her mind froze as her eyes widened. Zafrina's talent was very important – memories of her using it to play with her as a child flashed through her mind. The friendly nomadic vampire used to sit with Renesmee for hours and show her pretty pictures, funny things, beautiful images from her travels. As a child, she had been captivated by the images the vampire showed her. She remembered getting lost for hours inside the scenes the talented woman could show her; she would wander around in the pretty pictures as long as she would project them.

But most importantly, what Zafrina showed her could envelop her completely, alienating her from the real world…

Glancing at Damon, she gritted her teeth again. She looked down at her hands, turning them over in her lap. Maybe if she could use her talent to somehow stun him for a few seconds, she would be able to get out of there. _But how? Damon would surely come after her,_ she thought with despair.

Her heart sank as she quickly realized that she would be no match for his vampire speed. As soon as she got out of the hotel, he would surely come after her. Heaving a sigh, she lowered her head into her hands and let despair overcome her thoughts. There was no hope for escape.

A chilling fear set into her bones as she tried to clear her mind to think; she would need to remain rational if she had any hope for getting out of there ever. She silently cursed herself for not grabbing her phone before she left Denali; she felt naked without out it. It hadn't even dawned on her to grab it until now, when she really needed it to help her.

As if on cue, a beam of sunlight broke through the cloudy, late morning cover of clouds. It shone through the hotel window, making her bare food sparkle slightly in its light. She sighed, moving her foot out of the rays to tuck it under her slumped over body.

_Wait a second,_ she thought.

She was so used to staying indoors with her family on the few sunny days that Forks had that she rarely even thought about it anymore. She could go outside in the sunlight; her skin didn't' sparkle like a diamond like her mother and father. Hers only shimmered slightly, enough that she could go in the sunlight and live normally. Damon however could not.

_Bingo. _

Glancing down at her hands, she tried to figure out what she would show him to stun him. She had never used her talent to scare someone before, and this would be a challenge. Her hands shook as she looked at them; she was already considering what would happen if she failed. The only thing she knew was that she had to get out of there, and fast. It looked like Damon was still debating what his next plan of action would be, and she needed to take full advantage of that.

She stood, walking over to him slowly. "Damon, I want to go home. I can clearly see that you don't want to do whatever it is that you're planning - please, just let me go home now. I'm begging you," she pleaded.

Damon glared at her, his gaze narrowing. "No."

_Then you leave me no choice,_ she thought. This was it – there was no turning back now, even if she wanted to. This might be her only chance for escape.

"Fine," she muttered, letting the anger and embarrassment for the past few weeks boil up inside of her. She could practically feel the determination and rage sear through her veins and up to her hands.

Damon barely had a chance to look up at her before she placed her hands directly on his collar bone and shot as many images through his mind as she could muster. Concentrating hard, she tried to make it feel like a sharp jolt of fear and despair, almost crippling in depth.

The images came to her mind quickly – for she showed him all of her deepest fears.

_Her memory of Caius's sinister snarl. A bolt of lightning. Blackness. Being attacked by a nameless fear. Aro's malicious laugh. Emmett's snarl before he attacked. The glow of Jasper's battle scars. The gleam off Jacob's teeth while in wolf form. The fear of being drowned in the black water. Time stretching on forever, into a black abyss. Being alone, forever. The stink of the purple smoke that was a burned vampire corpse. _

Damon was stunned.

She watched in victory as his eyes glazed over and his body froze with the slew or horrible images she was slinging at him. One horrible, terrifying thought after another was thrown at him with her gift as she channeled it into his head. Every thought of fear, malice, and horror was jolted into his head with the power of her funneled gift, and she continued to paralyze him for several seconds.

She yanked her hands back and moved to the door, fast as lightning as Damon fell to the floor of the hotel room, temporarily stunned. She heard him gasp several times as she ran into the hallway, checking for humans. None.

She flew down the carpeted hallway soundlessly, yanking the door to the stairs open. Gulping back her fear, she peeked down the center of the staircase that showed a view of the floor, some forty or fifty flights down. Her ears told her that no one else was in the stairwell, and as much as she didn't want to jump that far she knew that she had to. With one quick breath, she launched herself over the handrail and braced herself for the landing.

Wind ripped through her thin top as she fell down the center of the staircase, and fear shot through her as she worried about her landing. She was half human after all…

"oof!" she gasped as she collided with the cement floor of the stairwell. Looking up, she saw no sign of Damon. As she flew out of the doors to the crowded lobby, she winced and bit back hot tears as her ankles stung from her landing.

"Ow," she growled to herself, trying not to look upset. The last thing she wanted was attention in the crowded lobby. She only had to get outside into the sunlight…

She pushed through the glass doors of the swanky hotel, blinking several times in the bright sunlight. It was sunny at the moment, but the dark storm clouds threatened to cover up the safe rays of sunlight. She knew that Damon was careless, but he was not careless enough to expose himself in the sunlight.

Taking a deep breath, she walked quickly through the crowded streets of Vancouver, trying to avoid being looked at. She didn't want him to be able to ask anyone if they had seen her. Dodging cars, people, andeverything else made her journey to the edge of the city longer than she would have liked, but anything to get free.

But now how to get out of the city?

Glancing around, she quickly decided that it would be far too risky to try stealing a car, especially in broad daylight. She knew that she needed to get out of the city, and fast, without leaving behind a scent – nearly impossible.

A sudden clanging noise interrupted her thoughts. _A trolley!_

The large, red trolley pulled up to the hotel where they had been staying, the clanging bells echoing off the tall buildings of downtown. Trying to remain inconspicuous, she walked up to the doors with a large group of people to try to walk on.

"Money?" a voice asked, poking at her hand. _Crap._

Renesmee smiled in a panicked way, pretending to search her pockets. "Oh gosh, I uh…" she stumbled over her words.

_Shit...what would Rosalie do?_ She thought.

Looking up at him, she flashed her white teeth and stuck out her chest. The riders were growing impatient, and she guessed that the driver would want to be going soon. This was her last hope.

"Um, I guess I forgot my money in my hotel room…can I pay you when I come home this evening?" she asked, widening her eyes slightly when she smiled at him.

The driver looked at her sternly, and then slowly his face spread into a smile. "Well…I guess that's alright," he answered. She flashed him another smile before dashing to the back of the trolley.

She rode for several miles, all the while glancing behind her to see if there were any traces of Damon – so far, none. When she saw that they were getting closer to the river that ran through the city, she took her chance. Hiding behind a larger man, she ducked off the back of the trolley and darted away from the bus as fast as she could without drawing too much attention.

It took her several tries with all the people around, but she eventually got into the river. It was cold and dark, but it would have to do to get her far enough away from the city that Damon couldn't track her. She was going home.

She wasn't' sure how long she swam north; it was a hard time swimming upriver, and her muscles began to ache after several hours. When she came up for air for the fifth time, she was relieved to see that she was in the wilderness, and the river was narrowing slightly. The water was also getting much colder, and she kept having to surface through thin sheets of ice to get air. It was getting colder – she was getting further and further north and closer to Denali.

After another hour or so, she figured it was safe to finally leave the water and travel by land. She had no idea where she was; her only idea was to go north for awhile, and then veer west. Being only half vampire gave her only half of the tracking skills of a normal one.

Once on shore, she wrung out her hair and tried to stay in the sunlight to dry herself. She wasn't too cold, but she knew that running at top speed in wet, already icy clothes would only freeze them more – and _that _would be cold. When she had gotten most of the water out of her hair and shirt- she began to run. Her bare feet barely touched the stones along the rock banks of the river she followed as she moved further north.

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After another few hours of running, she realized that it would soon be dark, and she was more tired than she had ever been. With a sigh, she slowed her run to a walk. She was still running along a river, but it had forked and branched out several times, slowing her progress. Nothing around her looked familiar, not that it should – she had never been out by herself in northern Canada.

Sighing tiredly, she her hope that she would find Denali start to slip away. She paused, sniffing the air. The air smelled colder and fresher one way, and if she had to guess that would be north. Silently cursing herself, she couldn't help but wish for better tracking skills. It would have been easier to find a town or a highway, but she wasn't' sure she wanted to be seen by anyone; she wasn't about to underestimate Damon's craftiness.

Her pace had slowed considerably, but she wasn't really sure where she was going, and she was wet, cold, and tired. Occasionally she would glance over her shoulder as she made her way across the snowy ground, trying to leave as little evidence she had been there as she could.

Every ten or twenty minutes, she would take to the trees if she could, jumping and swinging from branch to branch to help cover a bit of her scent and make it harder to follow.

She bit her lip as she swung from the branch of a young spruce, feeling it bend with her weight. It cracked and fell to the ground, sending her down along with it. Landing on her already sore ankles didn't help; the jump down the middle of the staircase hadn't' felt good to land from, and she didn't need to fall again.

"Ow," she moaned, standing up. She pushed the young spruce branch off of herself, glaring at it as if it were a person. Rubbing her ankles, she tried to straighten up and keep going. She winced to put weight on them; she must have really hit the ground hard.

"Just what I needed," she muttered, brushing her hair out of her face. Her wet long sleeved shirt and jeans clung to her body, the weight of them pulling her down. They, along with her wet hair, were starting to freeze from the frigid temperatures, and she had begun to shiver slightly. It normally took a lot for her to get really cold; however, she considered this a lot.

As she walked, her mind wandered to what she was going to say to Stefan and Jacob when she got back, and she wasn't' coming up with much.

_Um, sorry I ran off with your brother and then had a wild weekend with him? Great Renesmee. _

Her mind also wondered what to say to Jacob. She knew now that he couldn't help how he acted after kissing her – he probably felt guiltier than ever after that night in the woods before he left. Not that he shouldn't – if he was meant for some other girl, then why was he kissing her? It had been his idea after all.

_"Just...don't you ever wonder? What it's like?"_

_"Do I wonder what it's like to what?" he asked, teasing her. He couldn't help but want to tease her a little now that he knew she was interested in kissing and things like that. _

_She felt her blood boil under her skin. He was toying with her. Her anger finally getting the best of her, she spun on her heel and took off again into the woods. He raced in front of her and stopped her abruptly._

_"I want to try something," he said, grabbing her shoulders. _

_"What?" she huffed, crossing her arms. She was in no mood to be toyed with. Her vampire side was quickly getting irritated. _

_He took his chance. Even if he didn't tell her about the imprint now, there was still something else he wanted to test out. _

_He grabbed her wrists and uncrossed her hard arms, placing them around his neck. He closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief when her all too willing body met with his, the heat between them practically searing. _

_She looked at him questioningly, not sure what to do. Before she had any more time to think about it, he brushed his hot, wanting mouth against hers. _

Shaking her head as she jogged, she felt the same frustration beginning to boil up inside her as she ran. No, he definitely shouldn't have suggested kissing her if she was mean to be with some other girl.

True, the whole 'imprint' issue had been a taboo around her; she wasn't dumb, and had realized long ago that the pack had some special order not to discuss it. However, she was no ordinary seven year old. It didn't take a genius for her to figure out from what little whispers she had heard and from the art of observation that several members of his pack had imprinted. That had to be the only excuse for it. Watching some of Jacob's friends like Sam, Paul, and Jared behave around their girlfriends and wives was almost sickening at times. They were just always together, always touching, talking, kissing….it could be nauseating.

They were guys who were just always around their women, constantly. It was like they were drawn to them. With a laugh, she thought of Quil and Claire. It was almost like that, except that Claire was like a miniature imprint for Quil, but without the romance. The way he was drawn to the little girl like an older, overprotective brother was a constant in her mind.

Suddenly, she stopped running. Now that she really thought about it, it really was almost like Claire was a miniature imprint for Quil, minus the romantic part. In fact, it was a lot like her relationship with Jacob up until a few months ago. Until she had almost turned seven and was full grown..._an adult…someone of the proper age for a romantic relationship…_

Renesmee stood frozen against the bank of the river. Looking down at her hands, she realized they were shaking. Everything suddenly made perfect sense, and she felt like a fool.

Imprints were soul mates – regardless of age. Her eyes widened when she realized what happened with wolves like Sam – he had been ageless, never changing or growing until Emily aged enough to look like him. Then, he had stopped phasing, making him age right at the same pace as his wife. It was like…he had waited for her. Like Quil was for Claire.

Like Jacob had for her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she put the pieces together. Jacob wasn't' some hired protector for her, content to just be friends with her so that he could be around Bella. He wasn't just a close family friend, a big brother, a babysitter…he was none of those things to her.

He had been there all those years because she was his imprint.

She choked out a sob that echoed off the trees around her. The tears spilled over onto her cheeks, and with shaky hands she swiped at them angrily. How had she not figured that out sooner? She felt like a fool as she realized that everyone around her must have known – why else was he allowed around? The bullshit excuses she had been given about Jacob over the years boiled up inside of her and fueled even more hot tears.

She stumbled half blind from the salty tears drowning her eyes. Sniffing loudly, she wiped at her eyes again and again as she slowly began to continue her walk. Honestly, she wasn't' sure what hurt more; the fact that everyone had lied to her, or the fact that Jacob had had to waste nearly seven years of his life to wait on her.

_Was she right though? Was that what had happened? How did he know that she was his imprint?_ How did Quil know that Claire was his? She needed to get home, and fast. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she made her way further north. She would pause every few miles or so, wondering when she should start to veer west to find Denali.

The discovery she had just made paired with the feeling of being lost in the frozen wilderness did nothing to help calm the pressure in her chest. It felt as though a force was pulling and tugging on her to get her to go one way, although she wasn't sure if that was the right way. On top of all that, her throat still burned wildly after not feeding for so long.

"Crap," she moaned, her white hand rising up to grasp her throat. Since arriving in Denali, she had been feeding more often than normal. She had been milking the 'sympathy card' when it came to feeding so often – her parents usually only wanted her to go every two weeks or so. Building up a tolerance helped if she would need to be in social situations with humans, although that was rare.

The steady burn in her throat continued as she ran through the snowy woods. After another few hours, she stopped again when she came across a heard of deer. Renesmee fed ravenously, killing three deer although she really only needed one. Her thirst was extremely uncomfortable, but she knew that the more blood she had the more it would warm her cold, tired body.

She ran as though Damon was right behind her. Any head start she could get was one that she desperately needed, for a full vampire would be much faster than she was. On top of that, he knew where she was headed and could possibly cut her off before she got there.

Renesmee blurred through the forest as she tried to recall all the little bits and pieces about tracking that she had learned over the years from her family and from Jacob.

_Crap, I really should have paid more attention when they were explaining this stuff,_ she thought to herself. _If Damon finds me and rips me to pieces, I probably deserve it._

She would pause occasionally to sniff the air, observe the sun, and look for moss on trees, but all of those proved to be difficult as the sun set into a cloudy night, and the cold air made smelling scents harder and harder. Eventually, she stopped running on top of a hill and tried to re-focus her efforts. Absolutely nothing looked familiar, and she had no idea where she was going. She felt completely and utterly lost.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee continued to make her way in what she hoped was north, slightly veering to the northwest after several more hours. Running was faster than using a car, but not by much. She tried to remember how long the drive from Denali to Vancouver had taken them, but ended up cursing herself when she realized how little attention she had given that fact.

She had stopped to look around again and try to take note of her whereabouts when the hairs on her arms stood up. A chill ran down her spine, and she immediately looked for what she smelled: vampire.

_Oh no! He found me_! Her mind screamed at her as she began to move. As she ran, she was so scared for her life that she barely even considered what direction she was running in; by now, she was sure that Damon would be so upset with her for running away when he obviously had different plans for her that he would be thoroughly upset. She needed to get out of there and fast.

Her feet didn't even make a sound as she blurred through the wilderness in the darkness. The only sound was her frantic breathing as she moved through the trees. Her mind tried to conjure up more horrific images to show Damon if he did catch her. It felt like a feeble attempt, but it would at least be something.

Icy trees and bushes flashed by as she ran, brushing her face and hitting against her body. If she would have been human, there would have been cuts and gashes all along her skin. When she thought she had maybe lost him, she nearly cried when she heard faint footsteps behind her. They were getting closer and closer, although they were practically just as quiet. Her bronze hair flew out behind her as she moved across the clearing, cringing as they just got closer.

Suddenly, a stony body jumped out from the bushes in front of her and they collided, rolling into a pine tree. The large fir cracked and shuddered, falling to the ground.

Renesmee screamed and clawed at the body that was plastered on top of hers, struggling against the chiffon ruffles.

_Wait…what the…Damon would not be wearing chiffon. _

She opened her eyes, shocked at what she saw.

"Alice!" she gaped, embracing her aunt. Alice laughed stiffly, hugging her back.

"Ness," she breathed softly, her hard arms coming down around her niece. "I've got her!" she yelled out, and within thirty seconds Edward was standing over them, his face hard as stone.

"Dad!" Renesmee yelped, jumping up quickly. Flinging her arms around him, she breathed in his comforting, familiar scent and bombarded him with happy pictures with her hands. Edward stood still as a statue, his golden eyes pained and exhausted.

_He looks so…so…tired?_ She thought to herself in surprise.

"Thank you," he replied sourly, furrowing his eyebrows at his daughter. Renesmee jumped in surprise, shocked that he could hear her mind once again.

"That's a privilege you've lost, I'm afraid Renesmee," he replied sternly. Renesmee's eyes went to her aunt Alice, who had stood back up and was gingerly brushing the snow off of her clothes. Alice gave her a shrug and Renesmee hugged her tightly again.

Edward flipped open his cell phone and dialed a number, speaking almost too low and fast for her to understand.

"We've got her, she's fine. Go back to the house," he said quickly. Snapping it shut, he turned back to her.

"We're going home," he replied. "Everyone was out looking for you."

"Wait, how did you know to look for me?"

Edward glanced at Alice, and she shrugged. "Damon…must have slipped. This whole time he's been making me see-"

"Not what's really happening!" Renesmee interjected her eyes wide. She had almost forgotten about Damon's gift while she searched for Denali.

Alice nodded. "Exactly. Well, he must have slipped, because one minute I was seeing you at a mall, shopping and happy, and the next I got a flicker of you out in the woods, running for dear life. He must have gotten upset or distracted for some reason, I couldn't' see…and he let his guard down."

"I know! I attacked him! Well, I didn't attack him, I just used my gift to scare him and then I ran away! Oh Alice, I'm so lucky I found you finally, I was so lost and…"

She trailed off, looking over at her father, who had barely moved. He looked like a perfect marble statue in the middle of the moonlit forest; cold and unfeeling.

"We leave for home now. Everyone had split up to find you, and they'll want to see you home safe. Alice will carry you since you're so tired," he replied in a monotone voice.

Renesmee looked at Alice again, who said nothing as she scooped her niece up in her arms. She felt like a complete idiot being carried by Alice; her aunt wasn't much smaller than she was, and it would be humiliating to have to be carried all the way to Denali. However, she assumed that that was a bit of the point of the whole thing.

"We're not far from home. You made it within 100 miles," Edward replied smoothly, although he wouldn't look at her. Renesmee nodded silently, resting her head against Alice's hard chest as she ran. The wind whipped against her as she was carried in Alice's stony arms, and she silently prayed to be home as soon as possible. Everything she had thought about and worried about the whole way home was no longer relevant; all she wanted was to be home with her family.

They ran for about half an hour, the trees flashing by in a silvery, moonlit blur. Renesmee tried her best to clear her mind using the tricks Alice had taught her years ago so that her father wouldn't hear her thinking about Stefan and Jacob. That was another fight that she didn't need right now.

By the time they flew into the backyard of the Denali house, every single member of the Denali family, the Cullen family, and the wolf pack was there. They were lined up in a half circle, their pale faces shining in the moonlight against the reflecting snow.

"We're alone," Edward replied sternly, mainly to Emmett, who looked ready to tear something apart.

Alice set Renesmee down, who was promptly attacked with hugs and cries of joy from Bella.

"My baby," Bella gasped, her tearless sobs echoing off the snowy yard. Renesmee held her mother tight, wincing as they both cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she breathed in her mother's soothing scent wash over her. Bella's silky hair fanned over her daughter's arms, feeling like satin against her skin. Renesmee knew that Jacob was standing off to the side in wolf form with his pack, but she could barely make herself face him. How could she?

After she had figured out that he had imprinted on her, how in the world was she supposed to talk to him about it? In her mind, she recalled the images of the kiss they shared the night before he left, and the way it made her feel.

Edward snarled suddenly, and Renesmee didn't have to look up to know that he had aimed it in the direction of the wolves…and at Jacob. She whimpered into her mother's neck, and Bella promptly ushered her inside. She couldn't face him yet.

"Everyone's been looking for you. Alice saw what was really happening, and we knew you were coming home," Bella murmured, stroking her daughter's hair as she walked upstairs with her. Renesmee sighed in relief as she opened her teary eyes and saw her Denali bedroom.

"Come on," Bella said. "We can talk about this later." Her mother flashed into the bathroom, starting the shower up. After a few seconds steam began to roll out of the bathroom from the hot water as it hit the tiles.

"I'm just glad you're home," Bella sighed as she hugged her still shaking daughter. Tears ran down her cheeks for what felt like the tenth time the day.

"D-dad is gonna k-kill me," she stuttered, grasping onto her mother for dear life.

Bella gently pushed Renesmee away from her, cradling her face in-between her stony hands. "No, Renesmee, he isn't. He was just so scared that his little girl ran away from him. He loves you. Just…cut him some slack? He's still getting used to this whole 'grownup' thing. Okay?" Bella asked, turning her head to the side to look at her.

Renesmee nodded, and soon Bella left her so that she could take a shower. It was obvious that her mother didn't want to leave her just yet, but she finally kissed her cheek and silently left the room.

If Renesmee wouldn't have been so tired from her long couple of days, she would have cried. She stood under the hot jets for far longer than she should have, but it just felt too safe and surreal to finally be at home. Once she was dry, she changed into fresh pajamas and walked back into the bedroom.

She listened for a moment, and then smiled. "You can come in Alice," she replied. The door creaked open, and soon her aunt was ghosting into the room like a breeze.

She didn't say anything to her, only walking up and taking both of Renesmee's hands in her tiny ones. Alice looked at her, her hypnotic golden eyes watching her, blinking a few times.

"I feel like I failed you," she finally said softly, her eyes falling to the floor.

Renesmee sighed, shaking her head. "It's the other way around, I'm afraid."

Alice said nothing; she only squeezed her hands in her own. Renesmee looked at her hopefully.

"We rely on you too much, Alice. I know that now. Even if you are a vampire…you're not perfect. It's not fair that we expect you to be."

Alice gave her niece a meaningful look, and Renesmee knew that she was grateful.

"I still fell…inadequate," Alice said slowly, lowering her eyes to the carpet.

Renesmee sat on the bed beside her. "Alice, if I learned anything for my…little vacation," she said, swallowing gingerly, "It's that we all make mistakes, but…it's how we fix them that counts. Or at least…that's what I'm hoping."

Alice looked at her sideways.

Renesmee rolled her eyes and nodded. "I'm guessing you can see what I'm getting at. I have…some thinking to do now that I'm home. And fixing. I hope."

"It's cloudy, but it's there," Alice replied, slightly miffed. As she pulled back the covers, Renesmee wondered if Alice would ever get over the fact that Renesmee and the wolves clouded her vision.

"Will you lay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked hopefully.

A small, satisfied smile crept onto Alice's face as she nodded. Renesmee crawled under the blankets, and Alice sat beside her on the bed, above the comforter.

"You know…you'll always be my aunt Alice, but the older I get…the more you're like a best friend to me," she admitted, looking up at her.

Alice looked down at her in surprise, pausing. "I think all I ever wanted in life was love and friendship," she said finally.

Renesmee didn't reply; she only settled deeper into the covers and tried to rest. She was suddenly more tired than she ever thought possible; and yet her ears managed to pick up several things.

First, Jacob in wolf form, walking up to the house. She knew it was him by the way his paws hit the ground and his breaths against the cold night air. He growled at one of his pack mates, who promptly skittered away into the woods. She heard him flop down onto the snowy ground two stories down, grunting. Then, she listened as Stefan's light footsteps made their way down the hall to stop of front of her door. He sighed softly, then sat down and leaned against the wall outside her door.

She wasn't ready to face either one of them, but something dawned on her as she laid there with Alice. Being an adult meant that she would have do things she didn't want to do, and she would have to make a responsible decision tomorrow when it came to both of them...

She could only hope that she would make the right one.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Alrighty, I know I'm going to get some comments on this one.

Renesmee has had a hell of a 'vacation' with Damon, and as a result, she's realized a lot of things. A lot of you have been commenting that she needs to 'grow up' and stop acting a certain way and well..this trip is what changed her. Things are going to be different for her after her time with Damon, so I hope you are all excited.

To my critics, I would like to point out that just because a person is technically an adult (age 18, or in Nessie's case, 7) does NOT mean that they start immediately acting like one. I know I did some pretty immature and bratty things when I was 18 ; )

So I hope this chapter has introduced you to the 'wised up, 2.0' version of Renesmee.

Thoughts? I know you have them. As my friend Jezunya says…

'Just click the review button and bash your head against the keyboard. I will appreciate the effort."


	35. come on, little taste of heaven

How can you just walk on by  
Without one tear in your eye  
Don't you have the slightest feelings left for me  
Maybe that's just your way  
Of dealing with the pain  
Forgetting everything between our rise and fall  
Like we never loved at all

_Like We Never Loved At All – Faith Hill_

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**Super huge Thank You goes out to all the lovely reviews, Fav Story Alerts, Fav Author Alerts, and twitter comments about this story that I've started getting recently. It means so much to me so to thank you all, here is a brand new chapter!**

Thanks to my beta for helping me out with this one – **Rain-It-Shall,** you rock!

Twitter: (at)TwilightCakes.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The next morning, Edward paused in mid-sentence as he listened. Stefan stood hesitantly outside the library, trying to decide how to best approach the group that was gathered inside the next morning, all of them deliberating over what to do about Damon's eminent return. Everyone knew that it would only be a matter of time before Stefan's brother returned to Denali, and they wanted to be ready when he did.

"Come in, Stefan," Edward said gently, turning his head toward the door. Jasper gave him a questioning look, but Edward simply nodded as Stefan walked in.

"I wanted to talk to you all," Stefan said quietly, looking around at the group of vampires around him. The entire Denali coven, minus Rosalie and Bella, were standing with Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward in the library. Rosalie and Bella were up in Renesmee's room, talking to her about what had happened the past few days with Damon.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but a pensive look crossed his chiseled features. He looked almost unsure of how to start what he was about to say. Jasper sent a wave of calm over the room to at least give Stefan a chance to speak clearly and freely; he was obviously nervous. The Cullens and the Denalis all stood in a half circle around him; still, patient, and ready to hear what he had to say.

"Go ahead," Edward said slowly, scanning the young vampire's thoughts. Stefan spoke clearly, but softly.

"I know that…after what has happened with Renesmee…that you're all quite set on taking care of my brother if and when he comes back."

"Hell yeah," Emmett growled. Edward shot him a warning look, and he quieted in response.

"But what I wanted to ask you to consider is this: Damon is my last link to my human life. I left my family behind for their own safety, and …he is all I have left. I'm somewhat happy with my life here in Alaska, with Eleazar and his family, but…please keep in mind that he is my only remaining family."

Edward glanced around at the rest of the room's occupants, reading their thoughts. They were surprised at his request, but not all of them had made up their minds about what to do with Damon just yet.

"So you would let him live?" Tanya suddenly asked, her voice ringing out in the large room. Stefan gave her a pleading look.

"I want to believe that he can be good again."

"He hasn't done much to prove to us that he can," she retorted, her voice gentler this time.

Stefan looked at her, his perfect features drawn and almost tired looking. "Tanya, I only ask you to consider it. You of all people should know the bond between siblings."

Tanya glanced across the room at Kate, and she knew he was right. Kate wasn't even technically her sister, but all of their time together had made them grow irrevocably close. The death of Irina had nearly shattered her family.

"I do," she admitted softly. "But we have to consider that he might still be quite dangerous, Stefan."

"We don't want to hurt the boy," Eleazar said to him. He pulled Carmen up against his side. "But we have to remember what is best for everyone; Damon, you, our family, and the rest of the world."

"He's not going to get away with taking our Nessie away," Emmett growled. Jasper shot him a dirty look across the room, and he stifled.

"May I remind you Emmett, my daughter _went._ Willingly. What happened a few days ago is not entirely Damon's fault. Renesmee only egged him on my indulging in his recklessness."

Emmett paused, knowing Edward was right. Damon hadn't 'kidnapped' her at first, like they all had said. At first, Renesmee had gone willingly.

The room fell silent again for several more seconds as everyone contemplated what to do. The quiet was nearly deafening to Stefan's ears.

"Please, just…before you all rip him to shreds, remember what I've said today. That's all," he said sadly, dropping his eyes to the floor. He walked out of the library, a group of very shocked vampires in his wake.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When Stefan exited the library, gently closing the wooden doors behind him, he was shocked to hear the soft pitter patter of Renesmee's hurried footsteps on the stairs leading down to the Great Room. He watched her approach, his breath catching in his throat. He had missed her in her short time away; he couldn't deny that.

Renesmee stopped in front of him, giving him an awkward hug.

"Hey, I need to talk to you," she said softly, biting the corner of her lip. Stefan nodded, following behind her stoically. Through the windows, she could see Jacob and his pack sitting in wolf form on the snow covered patio just outside. Jacob had loudly proclaimed that morning that he didn't trust the situation they were in at that moment enough to phase back into a human.

As she walked down the hall with Stefan following her, Renesmee found herself getting more and more nervous.

_One thing at a time,_ she reminded herself. She led him up to the third floor to Eleazar's office, which she knew was thoroughly insulated and practically soundproof for privacy. She didn't want anyone to hear what she was about to say.

"Stefan…" she began slowly, "I have to admit something to you. Two things, actually."

He paused, his face dropping. "I think I already know what at least one of them is."

"You do?"

He nodded. "But go on."

She took a deep breath, shifting on her feet uncomfortably. "Stefan, I used you." It hurt her so much to finally say the words, but she knew it had to be done.

Her words hung in the air for a moment, both of them staring at each other in shock. He couldn't believe she had actually said it, and neither could she.

He nodded. "I know you did."

She exhaled quickly, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry for what I did. I led you on and used you, and I see now how cruel that was. But…the other thing I wanted to tell you…"

"What is it?" he prodded gently. He had known this conversation was coming, but that still didn't make it any easier.

"I wanted you to know that…it wasn't all bad. I mean…I did – I do – have feelings for you. It's just that Jacob-"

He nodded, holding up his hand. "Your mom and dad told me," he said. "So you know now?"

She shrugged, nodding. "I mean, I still have to talk to him about it. But yes, I know now. I know about the imprint, and…although I don't know the exact details, I've figured it out. I know that I'm supposed to be with him now, Stefan. And I'm sorry that I had to use you and hurt you along the way but…it took us coming together like we did for me to realize that I belong to him."

"This isn't something you could have figured out before you pursued me?"

She looked up at him, shocked. "You pursued me as much as I pursued you."

Stefan bit his lip, knowing that she was right. He had known this talk was coming since Jacob had returned. Knowing the inevitable the past few days had been a torturous experience that he never wanted to repeat.

He sighed softly, looking down at the fine wooden desk where he sat. "Renesmee, I'm not mad about you wanting to be with Jacob. I'm hurt about that…but…your parents explained it to me, and I understand it. I'm….disappointed and sad, but I'm not angry."

"You're not?"

"No. But I am angry about something else."

"Tell me, Stefan. I need to know so that I can take responsibility-"

"Saying that you'll take responsibility won't fix it either, I'm afraid."

Renesmee closed her mouth, hurt at his words. She knew then that the damage she had done to Stefan would never be undone, responsibility taken or not.

"What I'm angry about is the fact that Jacob returned to you, came up to Denali…and Renesmee…I saw what happened between you two when he walked through the front door. Something changed in you when you saw him. I could see it, feel it…everyone could."

She lowered her head, nodding. "I know," she said softly.

"But even after everything changed and he was back, you still continued to play with me. You knew that I wasn't the one you wanted. You knew that you would pick him the moment you slapped him across the face. Then you dragged me into this...sick love triangle for no reason. All I ever wanted to do was love you and have you by my side forever. And instead, you continued to jerk me around the use me…you made me look like a fool."

Tears stung at her eyes as she listened to Stefan explain how she had broken his heart. In that moment, she realized that breaking someone's heart was almost as painful as having her heart broken. Neither side was even remotely bearable.

"I know," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"And…you take me out of the house, kiss me…make me crazy! And…it just kills me that I let you!"

"Stefan, I did do those things, you're right-"

"But you don't understand. I let you do it, and I knew all along that this would never work. I loved you so much that I didn't care if I was going to get hurt. I loved you, and that was all that mattered to me. I wanted you with me for always, and instead…I get shown up by a dog," he spat.

Renesmee blinked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stefan…"

"And you know what? I'd probably do it again if I knew that for even one second you would pretend to feel that way about me again. That's the sick part."

She was silent, tears still pooling in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have indulged you after Jacob came back. I should have made you chose right there. I saw the way you looked at each other, and I just…I was sick about it because I knew! I knew, Renesmee. I knew right there that it was over between us. And you knew it too. That's the horrible part of it. We both knew, but you were the one with the power….and I let you play with my emotions the entire time knowing that you wouldn't pick me."

"So why did you let me?" She suddenly asked.

"Because I cared about you so much that I would have done anything for you. In my own moment of stupidity I actually still thought I had a chance, Renesmee. I see now that that was….completely stupid of me."

"Stefan, I'm sorry. I'll say it for the rest of forever if it would help. I feel terrible about what I did to you, and I want to fix things between us so badly," she pleaded, choking back tears. Stefan watched from Eleazar's desk, his green and golden eyes expressionless.

"Will you still let me explain?" she asked hopefully.

"What is left to explain?" he questioned.

She bit her lip again, nearly drawing blood. "I just wanted to…explain about Jacob and…why I did what I did."

"I can promise that whatever you have to say won't make my life any easier, unfortunately."

She nodded again. "I know. And I'm so sorry. I know that my words can't make it better…but please at least hear them. Will you at least do that?"

He looked at her, his piercing green and golden eyes staring at her. "I can. And I meant what I said…it doesn't make it any easier. But…I can see that what you have with him…its fate. And if I've learned one thing in this…existence of mine…it's that you can't fight fate. I pity anyone who tries."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After talking with Stefan, Renesmee wasn't sure if she could handle any more emotional stress. However, she knew that she had to. If she had learned anything these past few days, it was that she knew what kind of woman she wanted to be, and how she needed to go about doing it – no excuses. The little girl was gone, and in her place she was determined to be a woman, an adult. And sometimes, adults had to do things that they really _really _didn't want to do.

But the hard part was over. Stefan had been hurt, and she had been hurt to have to say those things to him. She did not regret anything she had shared with him in the past few weeks. Her only regret regarding him was having to hurt him, because even though it was inevitable, his pain was still her own. Hearing him say some of those words to her had been heartbreaking, but she knew she deserved to hear him. They hurt because they were true. She had managed to drag an innocent bystander into her at the time downward spiraling relationship with Jacob. In turn, she had created a messed up love triangle hat neither of them deserved to be involved in.

She made her way through the house, looking for Jacob before she remembered they were all outside the house on the back patio. Suddenly, the need to talk to him was overwhelming. She wasn't sure what would be said in this talk with him. After everything that had happened, she needed to know the truth. She knew more than she had originally, even though no one had informed her of the details just yet. She hadn't given anyone the chance to confirm her discovery about the imprint because she wanted to hear it from his mouth and his mouth only.

Once outside, every single wolf on the patio stood up in a hurry, sniffing at her nervously. She glared at all of them sternly, clearly telling them to keep their distance.

She eyed the tallest one, who stood the farthest away from the group. She pointed to him firmly and spoke.

"You…follow me. The rest of you, stay here. I have to talk to Jacob."

Jacob twitched his tail in an annoyed fashion, eying her with his wolf eyes. She walked up to him and put her hand on his muzzle, speaking softly.

"I know you want to talk to me, too. Come on. We won't go far, just out of earshot. Please?" she asked, looking into Jacob's eyes. He chuffed, twitched his tail again, and followed her across the snow-covered lawn.

"Okay," she sighed once they were far enough away. "Phase back," she gently commanded.

Jacob shook his wolf head, still eying her nervously. For a moment, she briefly considered talking to him in wolf form, but knew that they wouldn't get much accomplished. He was just so much easier to talk to when he was like this sometimes. But what she wanted to talk about today were things that he and he alone had to tell her.

"Please?"

Jacob looked around nervously, but trotted behind a large tree to phase. She heard the air change for a split second, and then Jacob walked around the tree in his human form. He fastened the button on his cargo shorts, his bare feet digging into the snowy ground. Her eyes quickly glanced at the view of his bare, tan chest before averting them so that she didn't look suspicious. They stood there together, not speaking for a few moments. His dark eyes stared into hers, conveying no emotion.

She was almost sure that she was going to have to make the first move when he suddenly fell to his knees in front of her. His large arms grasped her around her waist, his shaggy head pressing into her stomach as he hugged her tightly. Tight, jagged breaths left his throat as his chest heaved against her body. Renesmee's eyes widened in shock as she placed her hands on his head and looked around in a panic.

"Jacob!" she gasped, trying to bend down, "Jacob, what's wrong? Stop, stop! You're scaring me! Jake, what is it?"

He breathed in several more panicked breaths before looking up at her. She was shocked to see that his eyes glistened with tears that threatened to spill over onto his cheeks.

"Jake, what's wrong?" she asked, reaching down to grasp his hot face in her hands. He buried his nose into her sweater one more time, breathing in a deep breath.

"Ness," he choked out, squeezing her tighter. "I…I thought you were gone for good. I thought you weren't going to come back to me," he panted, looking back up at her.

Renesmee sighed, pulling him up from the ground. He stood, towering above her, and she quickly pulled him into a hug. "Why would you think that? I was just mad Jake…"

"I know, but…when you left it almost killed me Ness."

"Jake, I will always come back to you. It was stupid of me to leave, it was stupid of me to not listen to you, and…this whole thing is just so ridiculous…I just want it to be over."

"I don't care!" he said firmly, hugging her against his chest. He hugged her against him for several moments, both of them holding each other tight. It felt so good to be in Jacob's strong arms again, and she could feel her body reacting. She felt lighter, happier, and more complete to be in his arms like this. It felt good; it felt like she was whole again.

"You stupid dog, you should be more upset with me," she muttered against his hot skin. He laughed a deep, throaty chuckle and stroked her bonze curls.

"I should, yeah…but...I wasn't mad as soon as I saw you."

She pulled away to look up at him. "Jake, when I saw you I slapped you."

He grinned. "I liked it."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"I can't believe you."

"Yes you can."

"You're dumb."

"I know. You like it."

"I do. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"I hate it when we fight."

"Me too."

She hugged him tightly again, reveling in the way his burning hot skin felt against her cheek.

"You should still be angry with me."

"I am angry…but not with you. I'm angry with myself. I'm older and…I should know better."

"Jake…" she sighed, lifting her head up to look at him, "You can't keep letting me get away with things like that. I mean…things are different now…and…I have to take responsibility for them. You can't just forgive me like that. It makes it too easy for me, and that's not how I want things anymore. I want to be a grown up and…I guess that means I'll have to be treated like one when I screw up. Which I will. But you can't just let me off the hook, Jake."

He frowned slightly, making a face. As much as he was looking forward to his imprint being a grown up, he wasn't sure he liked this new deal. He wasn't used to staying mad at her, or making her do things.

"I don't like that," he finally said. She gave him an exasperated look.

"You're not making this any easier for me, you know."

"Good," he grinned cockily. She shoved him away and began to pace in front of him.

"You can't let me get away with things anymore Jake."

He nodded, and then gave her another smile. "But I like you how you are."

"You can't though. I have to grow up and start acting like it. I don't want to be a child anymore, and therefore I don't get to act like one. If I do something that's immature, I want to know it!" She insisted. He wasn't making this easy on her.

"But Ness…you're my little Nessie, you're not a grownup….you're just you."

She fumed, her eyes growing wide. "No!" she snapped. He looked shocked for a moment that she would yell at him like that.

Renesmee was livid. He still saw her as a little girl, one that needed everyone to help her and fix things and do things…she was at her wit's end. Huffing, she walked across the clearing and selected a medium sized pine tree. Carefully maneuvering through the sappy needles, she gripped the base of it and yanked, uprooting the tree. With vampire speed, she ripped every branch off of it and tossed them to the ground until all that was left was a spindly looking spear that stood twenty feet high. With a girl-ish grunt, she heaved it in the direction of a large oak tree. The spear-like pine trunk collided with the bark of the oak, the frozen wood making an awful noise as the pine tree was driven into it. Shards of ice and snow fell to the ground all around it.

"Does that look like your _little Nessie_?" she growled. Jacob's eyes lit up for a second, enamored with her show of strength and fiery attitude. His eyes glinted mischievously.

"Well, spruces are known for their weak root system, and they aren't generally that hard to-"

He stopped and laughed when she stalked over to him, giving her best vampiric hiss. He laughed as she walked over to him, placed a hand behind his neck and quickly jumped into his arms. Renesmee growled, leaning in toward his neck, her razor sharp teeth bared. She ran them gently along the pulsing vein in his neck, causing his skin to form goose bumps. She hissed again appreciatively, leaning back to look him in the eye.

"Is that like your little Nessie?" she practically growled again. Jacob's eyes were wide as her expression changed into one so sultry and wanton-like that he almost dropped her. She leaned in closer, grasping his cheeks in her hands. He tried to concentrate on her rapid heartbeat instead of the increased blood flow to his crotch as she seductively ran her lips against his jaw. When she found his mouth, she reached out with her pink tongue and traced his lips with it, wetting them slightly. He nearly came undone when she pressed her mouth against his, kissing him sweetly. Then the kiss changed into something more aggressive as she applied more pressure and kissed him again and again. She began to pull away, but not before slowly taking his bottom lip in her teeth and biting down slightly. He felt his manhood twitch as her teeth came down harder, making the tiniest cuts along the inside of his lip. He heard her groan slightly as she pulled away, her chocolate eyes hooded and lust-filled.

His hands gripped her as he held her up against him, thankful that he could hold her above his waist and not against the throbbing in his pants.

"Was…_that_ like your little Nessie?"

His wide eyes were her answer. She listened to his heartbeat speed up as she stared into his dark eyes, and couldn't help but feel smug satisfaction at what she had done to him.

She jumped down from his grasp, turning away from him. She took a few steps, her finger tracing her lips where they had been on his mouth just seconds before. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she snorted.

"Sorry," she quipped. Jacob still stood frozen in the clearing, his hands still extended like he was holding her. The dumbstruck look on his face was priceless.

"Are you okay?" she asked, glancing at him again. Her eyes drifted down to the awkward looking tent that was slowly disappearing from his shorts, and he seemed to snap out of his daze.

"Uh…yeah," he said slowly shifting uncomfortably where he stood. His face darkened, and she realized with a giggle that he was actually blushing.

"That wasn't fair of me," she said softly, walking back over to him.

Jacob blinked a few times, looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I…I…you're right Ness. You're not a little girl anymore…I just…it's just hard to see after so long."

"You realized it the night before you left," she huffed quietly. "You seemed to think I was grownup then."

He laughed softly, coming even further out of his trance. "No, I knew you weren't, not even then. That wasn't fair of me to do, Nessie."

She smiled, walking back over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tightly again.

"You need to realize that I'm a big girl now, Jake. You can't keep treating me like a child. I want to be…seen like a real adult now. It's time."

"You really mean it?" he asked, resting his chin on top of her head. She nodded.

"I mean it. And that means that you have to be angry with me when I mess up and let me deal with it. I don't want everyone to let me take the easy way out anymore by cleaning up my messes. You all have to realize that."

He was silent for a moment, thinking about the past few months.

"I was so hurt when you left…I just …I thought I would die. I felt like I did die while you were gone. Ness….I can't be without you. I can't be mad at you."

She pulled away from him suddenly, looking him square in the eye. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

Renesmee watched as his eyes instantly became nervous. He remembered that they had yet to discuss the imprint.

"You could have told me, Jake."

"Y-you know?"

She nodded. "But I need to hear you say it. You're not a protector, or a friend, a babysitter, or just my mom's best friend, are you?" she asked softly. He shook his head, looking down at the ground. She placed her hand on his cheek and showed her the epiphany she had had the day before in the woods when she realized that he was his imprint.

Jacob's eyes glazed over as he watched her come to the realization of what had happened while running home yesterday through the woods. Renesmee also showed him her confusion about who he had imprinted on before – was it someone at school? Someone else? Was that why he had left her in the woods back home? He watched as she spoke with Damon about the imprint, his filthy lies poisoning her thoughts. He realized that when he imprinted, he felt scared and lonely, when he should have told her about the imprint in a calm, relaxed, even romantic setting. He felt like a jackass.

"Ness…I…"

"Please, Jake. We've been through so much…just tell me the truth. You imprinted. You imprinted on me. Didn't you?"

He nodded. "Yes, Nessie. I didn't imprint on someone else, and I sure as hell didn't kiss you for no reason in the woods. I imprinted on you, Ness. It's true," he grudgingly replied.

She felt a giant weight come off her chest as she stared at up at him, never having seen his eyes look so expressive. He felt like a weight had just been lifted off of him as well as he looked at her. Her face broke into a smile, and he soon followed.

"Really?" She gasped. She had known for almost an entire day now, but to hear him say the words…it was an incredible feeling to finally know the truth. He nodded excitedly, his shaggy hair falling down around his eyes. She grinned up at him, gripping his arms tightly in her joy.

"I'm your imprint, no one else?"

"Yeah, it's always been you, Ness. I wanted to tell you, but Edward-"

She pressed her fingers against his lips, silencing him. "Jake, I don't care. Later. Just…tell me what it means," she insisted.

"It means…that I'm whatever you want me to be."

"Forever?"

"Forever," he stated firmly. She smiled, exhaling choppily. Her stomach was alive with nervous but happy butterflies, and she could barely contain her excitement. Finally, something good was happening!

"I'm whatever you need, Ness. Friend, protector, big brother…boyfriend, lover, or…whatever you need," he added, tripping over the last few words. He shook his head, glaring off to the side. "That sounded corny, I-"

She cut him off again, suddenly not even caring. "Jake, all I need to know is that we'll be with each other always. Forever."

He nodded. "Until you order me away. You couldn't pry me from your side. From now on…things…things are going to be different, Ness. I thought I lost you and…it woke me up."

"It woke me up, too," she said softly, staring into his deep brown eyes. He smiled, relieved at her words.

"Good…I…I can't live without you, Nessie. I don't wanna go through that again, and I'd do anything to….You're mine, and I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to prove it to you."

"I'm yours?" she asked coyly, cocking an eyebrow at him. He laughed nervously, his deep voice echoing off the trees.

"It works both ways. I'm kinda yours, too," he admitted sheepishly. His dark cheeks flushed slightly at his admission, and her heart swelled.

She laughed, and then placed her hands on his cheeks to show him her joy. He smiled, watching the pictures she flashed him: _happiness, devotion, relief, satisfaction…love…_

"You really feel like that?" he asked happily, his eyes lighting up even more.

She nodded. "Now kiss me, stupid," she laughed before wrapping a hand around the back of his neck. She pulled him down to her, pressing her lips firmly against his. There would be no mistaking what she was feeling now.

Jacob froze in a moment of shock before he was able to react to her lips against his own for the second time that day. She laughed against his mouth as he jumped a bit and then quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to his body as he could. The only sound in the forest was that of their lips coming together as they rejoiced for what had just happened. He was hers, she was his, and everything was out on the table.

This kiss wasn't to prove a point, and it wasn't to make him uncomfortable or nervous. This kiss was theirs and theirs alone. As she kissed him, all of her feelings of love and devotion for him came through. This was who she was meant to be with, and no one else.

As their passionate kiss ended, he pressed his forehead against hers and sighed contentedly.

"I never thought I would be this happy…ever," he admitted softly, reaching up to touch her cheek with the tip of his large finger. She blinked, looking up at him through her misty eyes. She was so happy she could practically burst.

"I didn't either," she added. She placed one last, chaste kiss on his mouth before he stood straight up, suddenly rigid.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes widening. She froze, listening carefully. Her ears picked up a steady whirring sound, and seconds later Alice burst through the trees with a slightly panicked but triumphant look.

"He's here?" Jacob guessed quickly. Alice snarled daintily, raising her chin.

"Yes, only this time, he slipped. I saw him!" she replied, taking Renesmee's hand. "Let's go!"

Renesmee took one last look at Jacob before he backed up a few steps and burst into wolf form. Alice pulled her through the trees, making her legs go faster than they would have if it was just her running. Before she could blink, they were safely back at the Denali house, surrounded by her family. She made it inside the house where she stood with the rest of her family in the Great Room, looking out the large glass windows to the patio. Jacob stood there with his pack, along with Emmett, Jasper, Eleazar, Garrett, and a very worried Stefan.

Renesmee's heart went out to him as she watched Stefan practically gasp for breath and pace behind the front line of wolves and older vampires. His face clearly said what everyone was thinking_: if they got their hands on Damon, they would kill him. _

Her heart broke for Stefan in that moment. They were about to separate him from his last tie to the human world, and all they could think about was ripping Damon to shreds.

The house and yard were silent for several long, painfully quiet moments. She stood inside of the house, but could hear everything clearly through the tall glass windows that divided them. Outside, it was as if the wolves and the male vampires were the front line, waiting to strike.

Then, she heard it.

_Damon. _

He came ripping through the trees that lined the large backyard in a black and white blur. Her family reacted, adjusting themselves in front of her so that she was nearly out of sight. Outside the glass windows, Jacob and his pack began to growl and snarl. They kept a tight formation around the house, each one of them baring their teeth with their ears flattened to their heads. Her vampire family all readied their stance as they saw him, each one of them reacting like a real vampire. She had never seen her friends and family seem more menacing and vampire-like than they did right then.

He slid abruptly to a halt in the middle of the yard, his eyes scanning the crowd before him. Renesmee had to admit that he looked a little surprised by the wolves, but otherwise seemed triumphant.

Beside her, Alice growled like an irritated cat and eyed him with her fierce, blackened eyes. She tightened her grip on Renesmee's arm. Damon heard her through the tall glass windows, and his eyes narrowed at her. When Alice saw him look at her, she hissed as if to challenge him. If Renesmee wouldn't have been so terrified, she would have been proud of her tiny aunt.

He stood in the yard, frozen like a statue. Everyone waited with baited breath to see what he had to say. Finally, he spoke.

"Well well, Renesmee, you've got quite a collection of monsters here to do your bidding, don't you?" Damon sneered. The afternoon sunlight hit his perfect face, sending glittery rainbow beams dancing across the nearby snow.

She sucked in a breath as his eyes bore into hers, a chill running down her spine. It became clear in that one look that he intended to make her pay for what she had done to him in Vancouver. Even through the glass windows, he struck fear and panic into her with just one look. Bella quickly stepped in front of her daughter.

"What do you want?" her mother hissed through the glass windows. Damon snorted. He eyed Edward, who was eying him.

"I'll go out on a limb here and guess that the moody looking one is the mind-reader?" he asked in Eleazar's direction. The older vampire tried to remain calm; much like Carlisle would have in that type of situation; ever the patriarch and peacekeeper of the family.

"Damon, you are correct. That is Renesmee's father, Edward," he replied calmly.

Damon raised an eyebrow at Edward. "Hard of hearing are we, Daddy?" he taunted Edward. Edward, the vampires that were outside, and the wolf pack still stood a good fifty yards away, but Renesmee was certain that they could close that distance quickly if needed.

"I could end you right now," Edward growled. Emmett stepped closer behind him, growling in agreement, and several of the wolves pawed at the ground and snapped their jaws.

"NO!" Stefan bellowed, flashing down to stand in between his brother and her threatening family members. His eyes were wide with panic as he stood between them, his own skin sparkling in the sunlight.

He turned to face Damon. "Why are you here?" he asked him sternly. "You've been gone, you got Renesmee to leave with you…and…that's not what she wanted... Why are you here Damon?"

"She didn't want me, but she obviously didn't want you either," Damon sneered at him. Stefan's shoulders sank a little as he glanced over his shoulder and back up to the house where Renesmee stood.

"No, but that's no reason to fight, Damon. Fighting will only bring you more misery. You won't win this fight. Look around you. Don't do something rash."

Damon laughed. "Well, brother, it would appear that you have underestimated me."

Renesmee shifted uncomfortably, and Alice gave her a worried glance. She knew that Damon's shield was in full effect by the nervous way her aunt was acting.

"You see," he continued. "I didn't come here to seek revenge, as tempting as that was…I came to warn you."

"Warn us of what?" Edward demanded. He glanced back at Bella and Renesmee inside the house, and then back at Damon. He frowned, still trying to unsuccessfully scan Damon's mind.

"To warn you that I'm not the only one intrigued with your daughter, Edward. I know another group of vampires that would be very interested in her now that she's full grown…and they'd also be interested in her choice of mate," he answered. "Now, I think you know what I'm referring to."

"The Volturi have agreed to leave us alone," Edward growled, his hands shaking slightly as he balled them into fists.

"True, but that was awhile ago from what I gathered. Don't you think they'd be interested in attaining your little hybrid daughter before she gets much older? I wonder if they know she's thinking of choosing a werewolf for a mate! The _possibilities_…" he taunted, his red eyes glowing.

Edward snarled. "We have no way to know what her body is capable of. Neither do they-"

"_Precisely_ my point," Damon interjected. "Don't you think they would be interested to see that Renesmee is thinking of trying out her reproductive abilities with a werewolf? I'm sure they would have a problem with_ that_ little detail," he sneered. "Especially Caius."

It was no secret that the most volatile member of the Volturi family loathed both werewolves and shape shifters.

"Damon, you wouldn't go to them," Stefan pleaded. "Don't be stupid."

Damon growled viciously, his eyes narrowing on his brother. "Don't you tell me what to do, little brother. It's been two long, bloodthirsty years for me, and I wouldn't mess with a stronger vampire if I were you."

"Damon, be logical. You can't take us all on-"

In a flash, Damon had Stefan pinned to the ground in a hold that could have easily snapped Stefan's neck. He had recently fed by the looks of his glowing crimson eyes, and Stefan was no match for him, like Damon had already pointed out. Renesmee shrieked and bolted out the glass doors to stand with her father. Bella raced up behind her, and she and Edward both put a protective arm in front of their daughter.

"Damon, no!" she pleaded, her voice cracking in desperation. Damon's head jerked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes meeting hers.

"So you don't want him, but you don't want me to kill him either?" he laughed. "Evil, Renesmee, but I like it."

"You won't kill him!" she demanded, lunging against her mother's stony arms that held her back.

"I'll do as I please…" he growled back. Jacob suddenly let a fierce growl rip from his lips, and Damon's head jerked up with a twisted smile.

"What is it, mongrel?" he spat.

Jacob looked over at Edward, who shook his head. "Jacob, no!" he insisted firmly. "It cannot come to that."

"What does the beast want?" Damon shouted at Edward, who gave him another scowl. Jacob let another growl rip from his chest, and Edward drooped his head in defeat.

"He wants to speak to you himself," Edward replied coolly as Jacob ducked behind the house.

He quickly phased and pulled on his shorts, striding confidently around the house and into the yard where Damon stood, still holding his brother in a dangerous grip. He could end Stefan's life with a flick of his wrist that would surely end in nothing short of decapitation.

"Well well, it walks upright and can speak!" Damon mocked. Jacob's face remained blank yet daunting as he stalked up to the vampire in the middle of the yard.

"We end this now," he stated firmly. Damon looked up at him from where he held his brother on the ground.

"No, Jacob, don't do it!" Stefan pleaded from the ground. Damon yanked his head back further, warning him to silence himself.

"We end this, here and now," he repeated. "Fight to the death."

"Jake, no!" Renesmee sobbed, lunging again against Bella and Edward's arms. Jacob turned his head in her direction, but didn't look at her.

"Let's put this to rest. You won't stop until you get what you want, so this is the only solution."

Damon paused, looking up at the half naked man in front of him. _It all seemed too easy…_

"That's what you want though, isn't it?" Damon questioned as he glared up at Jacob. "You want me to take the bait, and then you all rip me to pieces, isn't it?"

"No. I don't fight like that," Jacob insisted. "We can end this."

Damon stood, releasing his brother and backing away. "That's what _you _want. I've got other plans."

"Jake, stop it! No!" Renesmee pleaded to him. He glanced back at her lovingly, then back at Damon. His expression immediately turned back into a hard air and he stepped away from Damon slightly, as if he was confused.

"You have to do what she says, don't you mutt?" Damon cackled, his red eyes bright with this realization.

Jacob just stared at him, not a trace of irritation or fear on his face.

"Before this is over, you'll remember what I've just offered you," Jacob replied in his firm, Alpha tone.

Renesmee felt chills race up and down her spine as he confidently strode back to stand next to her. Warmth and safety practically radiated off of him as he stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders to hold her back. She was glad Jacob was alright and wasn't going to fight, but was still worried for Stefan, who was holding his neck and slowly backing away from his brother.

"I'll get what I'm after, you'll see. You'll all see," Damon snapped. His lips curled around his teeth as his eyes scanned the yard. His grip on Stefan's neck stayed iron tight.

"And just what is that?" Edward questioned. Damon's head whipped around to glare at him, his red eyes suddenly icy.

"I want what's mine," he growled.

"You don't want to kill me. That won't help you at all. I don't know what you've got...planned…but…killing me won't help," Stefan choked through Damon's grasp. Damon visibly faltered for a moment, his expression breaking.

With a hiss, he shoved Stefan the rest of the way to the ground, snapping his teeth at him in warning. His hands slowly loosened his grip, and then they dropped. Stefan coughed and grasped the snowy ground, his eyes large as he panted in relief.

"You always were the weaker one," Damon growled. Stefan stood in a flash, his hands clenching in anger at his sides.

"Leave us in peace if you want to be evil," Stefan snapped at him. "I don't want you here if you're going to act like a barbarian, Damon. Destroying these people's lives when all they've tried to do is help you get used to being like we are. Leave if that's how you are now."

Damon's eyes shifted to Renesmee and Jacob. The entire family stiffened, but remembered Stefan's plea not to kill his only brother. Renesmee could tell that they were barely hanging onto their agreement by a thread.

He grinned devilishly, as if he knew what was going on – the light catching his teeth menacingly.

"Renesmee," he purred, stepping closer to her, "I remember what you did to me in Vancouver, with your little gift, and I plan to get you back tenfold, you little _bitch,_" he growled at her through clenched teeth.

Her heart thrummed wildly in a panic as his glare washed over her, chilling her to the core. She had never seen so much hate balled up into one person before in her life.

Instinctively, she stepped backwards, away from Bella and Edward's arms that had formed a steel blockade in front of her. She flinched slightly when she was met with a warm, pulsing wall of flesh at her back as she bumped into Jacob's chest. Alarmed, she moved her head to look at him as he stood behind her, towering over her and almost everyone else around them. He protectively squeezed her shoulders, growling softly as he locked his dark eyes with Damon's piercing, crimson gaze.

_He's protecting me…After everything that has happened, he's protecting me from an extremely dangerous vampire,_ she thought with shyness and awe. Another glance behind her gave her a tiny peek at his bulging chest as he seemed to almost shake with anger.

"Touchy touchy!" he trilled, mocking Jacob. He pointed at her, his pale finger glittering in the sunlight. "This isn't over."

And just as fast as he had arrived, he was gone in a flash. Before she knew what was happening, the entire wolf pack, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Bella were off after him. Alice stayed behind with Jacob and the rest of the family, turning and hugging her niece. Jacob finally got his turn, wrapping his large protective arms around her body and squeezing her tight.

"You idiot, you could have been killed!" she whispered as they embraced.

"What did you do to him?" he asked, changing the subject and utterly in awe of Renesmee.

She felt her cheeks grow hot as she felt everyone's eyes on her all of a sudden. "I just…showed him really bad things. I stunned him temporarily so that I could escape," she admitted. She had told her mother and Alice what she had done to Damon, but no one else. It was her triumphant secret.

She spotted Stefan in the yard, standing away from the group. She gave Jacob a pointed glance, and he nodded, heading into the house.

"Stefan," she breathed, darting over to his side. She grasped him into a tight hug, and he was noticeably surprised.

"What, I can't hug you?" she asked, pulling away. He sighed sadly, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"I wasn't expecting you to, no," he admitted. "Thank you, by the way, for what you did back there. I know he seems awful, but…"

She silenced him. "No, but nothing. He's your brother, Stefan. Your real life brother. No matter how awful he is, nothing changes that fact. I know he's awful but no one here expects you to just turn your back and watch him be murdered…even if he is the devil," she added, rolling her eyes. Stefan cracked a very grateful smile.

"You get me," he murmured. She hugged him again, urging him into the house.

"I still want to be friends, Stefan. Can we at least do that?" she pleaded when they reached the doors.

He smiled sadly at her, raising his beautiful green and golden eyes to meet hers. "I can try. But…I loved you, Renesmee. I really did. I still love you, to be honest, even if you do…belong to Jacob."

"I know," she said softly, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did to you?"

"I can try."

x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx

After the wolves and her father left with their search party to chase after Damon, Renesmee went inside to find Jacob.

"There you are," he sighed, looking up. "I'm gonna go join the chase. They couldn't have gotten too far."

"I wish you wouldn't. I wanted to talk to you about-" She stopped herself short of saying, 'the imprint'. Glancing around nervously, she whispered, "Things…"

He nodded, grasping her hands in his. "Gotcha. When I get back, Ness, I'll tell you anything you want to know, okay?" He looked down at her, his eyes darkening as he spoke. She got the feeling that talking wasn't all he wanted to do suddenly. She nodded as her stomach twisted nervously, but in a good way. He gave her a cocky smile, then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

It was meant to be a short kiss, but she took matters into her own hands when he tried to pull away.

Renesmee grasped his cheeks in her hands, kissing him while showing him pictures with her gift. She was feeling rather brave, so she showed him a brief flicker of the thoughts she had had in the shower while in the Vancouver hotel room. The heat she craved to feel…kissing him...alone…his arms wrapped around her….

Jacob broke the kiss, his eyes wide. "What was…what…was that?" he finally panted, taking a step back. She gave him her best coy smile and tried not to lose her nerve.

"Something I wanted to show you is all," she replied. Jacob looked at her for a moment, and then a smile crept onto his face.

"Will you show me more later?" he asked.

She nodded. He grinned at her, and she felt her heart swell with love for Jacob…her soul mate…Her stomach did another nervous flip as she watched him dash out the back doors and out of sight into the darkening evening light.

The search party had been out for several hours now, and they still hadn't heard anything. She wasn't completely positive what they wanted to accomplish even if they did capture Damon – did they hope they could talk him out of going to the Volturi? Suddenly, the weight of everything that Damon had threatened came crashing down on her.

What if he was right about her not being able to have children? What if he was wrong? On one hand, the Volturi would probably leave her alone if she couldn't really have children, thus crushing their plans to study her. However, if he was right about her being infertile, what would she do? Between escaping Damon, figuring out that Jake had imprinted on her, and Damon's near murder of Stefan, she hadn't had time to really worry about that just yet.

Would Jacob still want her if she couldn't have children? Would it matter at all? She still felt like she was entirely too young to worry about these things, but they were being forced into her face. For a split second, she worried that her family wouldn't be able to protect her from the Volturi a second time. What would happen then? Her mind swirled with pictures of dark, scary dungeons and sharp looking medical tools held by menacing faces…She shuddered. It was all too much to bear.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, appearing next to her in the kitchen. Renesmee's head spun around to look at her aunt, surprised by her silent arrival.

"Ness, you look like you're really upset. What's bothering you?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Alice…" she mumbled.

Alice walked closer to her, encircling her niece in her marble arms. "Nessie…show me," she offered.

Renesmee sighed, still unsure if she wanted to divulge just how big of a freak she was feeling like right now. Sure, Alice was a vampire, but that's what she _was _– _a vampire._ A full vampire, not some half breed that wasn't even sure of what she was capable of.

She pressed her hand to Alice's cheek, showing her all of her worries about reproducing, Jacob not wanting her anymore, the Volturi experimenting on her…and most of all, her hatred and shame for being such a freak.

"You're not a freak," Alice insisted firmly when she was done. She hugged her close and tight, only releasing her when she felt Renesmee relax. "You're a beautiful, unique _woman _with an extremely bright future. You'll see!" she assured her niece gently.

"I hope you're right. It's just hard sometimes, Alice. I'm getting better with all of this, but…sometimes it's still hard."

"Are you worried about Jacob?" Alice asked thoughtfully. "I mean…I can see that you are, but…Ness, we've all watched you two together for years. I wouldn't worry about that."

Renesmee's eyes widened as she remembered something else she should be upset about.

"Oh yeah, and why did no one think to tell me about this imprinting business?" she demanded.

Alice looked panicked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "Some secrets aren't ours to tell," she reminded her.

Renesmee sighed, knowing that Alice was right. Something that big certainly wasn't hers or anyone else's to tell. It was Jacob's.

"You need to sit down and talk to him about all of this once we get Damon sorted out."

"You say that like it'll be easy," Renesmee huffed.

Alice gave her a knowing look. "I can't see him well or…at all sometimes," she admitted bitterly. "But it's not over yet, sweetie. Old Alice has some ideas!"

Renesmee laughed at her aunt referring to herself as 'old', when suddenly Alice's eyes glazed over slightly for a few seconds. She came back to the present, blinking her golden eyes several times.

"Alice, what is it?" Renesmee asked, panicked.

Alice shook her tiny head and patted Renesmee's hand. "Nothing to worry about! I just have a phone call to make!"

With that, Alice danced off and left Renesmee alone. She trudged to the Great Room to look out the tall glass windows. All she wanted was Jacob here, home safely, so that she could finally talk to him and ask him all of her questions. Alice was right - talking to Jacob would surely make her feel better about everything. However, he was out somewhere in the darkness, hunting down the evil vampire that had tried to kidnap her and take her to their enemies – the Volturi. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest as she thought about the way he had protected her today in the yard with Damon. He would literally do anything for her, and he had proved that to her time and time again.

She waited by the windows for most of the night, eventually drifting off. Rosalie eventually came downstairs and found her sleeping and balled up on the couch.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," Rosalie whispered, scooping her up in her arms. Renesmee opened her eyes sleepily as her aunt carried her up the steps to her bed.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked softly. Rosalie pleased to be asked, eagerly complied and laid in bed with her until the next morning.

"Are they home yet?" she asked as soon as her eyes were open. Rosalie turned her blonde head to look at her, shaking her head.

"No, sweets, they're not."

Renesmee sat up, sighing. She brushed her coppery hair out of her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine. You must have been tired," Rosalie answered in her silky voice. Renesmee smiled at her dazzling aunt, leaning over to hug her tightly.

"Thank you, Rose. It was nice to have someone with me."

Rosalie beamed. "I'm just happy you're home safe, okay? No more running away."

"Were you worried about me?"

"Yes, very much. Although I was relieved to have Jacob around yesterday…he really did prove that he would have ripped that silly Damon apart and…I'm grateful for that."

Renesmee's eyes widened at her aunt's words, but knew that if she made a big deal of it she would never hear them again.

She made her way down to the kitchen, where Alice sat on one of the high stools, happily bouncing her leg.

"Why so excited?" she asked her. Alice gave her an 'I'm not telling' glance and rolled her golden yes. Renesmee just shook her head and began to eat her breakfast of grapefruit and yogurt despite the disgusted glances from her aunt.

Later in the morning, there was still no sign of the search party. She was beginning to worry. Renesmee picked up a book and restlessly began to read it, not even paying attention to the words – nothing seemed to help pass the time until they would be back.

She jumped when she heard feet in the driveway. _Then…on the steps. And weirdly…someone rang the doorbell. No one ever rang the doorbell around here…_she thought.

"It's for youuuu," Alice sang from the other end of the house. In a flash, her aunt was standing beside the front door, a satisfied grin on her face. Renesmee leaped up, eager to see who was behind the door that Alice was so excited about.

"Alice, if this is clothes…"

"Just open it," Alice pleaded. Renesmee swung the door open and was immediately attacked by a pair of strong, pale, but warmer arms. He laughed, pulling back to look at the shocked expression on her face.

"Nahuel!" she gasped, a smile covering her face. She looked at Alice in shock, who was grinning back at her.

"Alice, did you-"

"After yesterday, I thought you could use a little heart to heart with a hybrid. And when I saw that Nahuel was traveling around the United States, I decided to give him a call."

"Yes, we ran all night!" he exclaimed, giving her another hug. Renesmee backed up, giving her old friend a confused look.

"We?"

Nahuel grinned again. "Yes! We!" he laughed.

He stepped to the side, and Renesmee caught sight of two of the most beautiful looking women she had ever seen.

"Ness, meet my sisters. Well, I should say half-sisters. Isadora and Estrella."

Renesmee smiled at them warmly, but froze for a second when she heard it. The two women stood barefoot in the driveway, silently looking back at her with tentative smiles on their faces.

They stood silent except for one noise – their rapid, thrumming heartbeats.

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As my friend Jezunya says, **"Just click the review button and bang your head against the keyboard. I will appreciate the effort."**

Oh, and by the way, if you haven't read **Jezunya's 'To The Wolves',** shame on you. It's one of my absolute favs out there, even if you're not a Jake/Ness shipper usually. The creativity of the world she had created makes it worth reading for that fact alone. So go, and tell her I sent ya!

And remember to check out my new Seth fic – 'Love This Pain', and my new Kate/Garrett 1shot 'Love Runs Wild' that is a slight spinoff of Untouchable – it's Kate and Garrett's story of what happened kinda behind the scenes of this story.

**TODAY is the last day to vote for it in the 'We Want Garrett' contest, so please vote? **

Voting is here: http:/www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/u/2303411/EvilTwinsCopyrighted

Thanks guys. Now review!


	36. Interlude : Damon Recouperates

This story has gotten insanely popular this last week or two, so someone out there is pimping it – so thank you! I wish I knew who you were : (

Big thank you to my beta, Rain-It-Shall, as always for this one! Enjoy…

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Interlude: Damon Recuperates.

The light from the sunrise shone through the glass windows of the hotel room, casting a golden glow on the hotel room floor. He sat on the bed closest to the window overlooking downtown Vancouver, his elbows on his knees, thinking. A beam of sunlight hit his skin, making rainbows bounce all around the room. He growled, yanking his hand back.

Things were not going according to plan.

Damon cursed himself for not taking the hybrid to the Volturi when he had the chance, which would in turn solidify his place with them. He had failed Aro's tryout – now what? Would he return to Italy and admit his defeat? Or would he cower away into the shadows for the rest of eternity, his tail tucked figuratively between his legs? A deep growl resounded in his throat as he realized he didn't have many options. The doe-eyed little monster had tricked him into thinking she was more innocent and useless that she actually was.

He touched his face as he remembered how her palms had transported some sort of horrible power into his mind. What was that? It had been nearly a week ago that she had attacked him with her strange gift and managed to escape, and he was no closer to figuring it out than he was when it had happened. His mind replayed the hideous emotions and pictures she had sent to him in strange, electric surges, each one more unsettling than the last. The young girl had clearly seen more horrible things in her past than he had given her credit for. He had been too blinded by her innocence and beauty to realize that she was more dangerous than she let on, even as a hybrid.

He sat in the hotel room, motionless for the entire day, staring at the sunny city below, thinking. The sun finally set, and he had gotten no further with his plans.

He would not spend eternity hiding in shame. No, he would get Aro what he wanted, and at any cost. He decided that he didn't care what it did to Stefan or anyone else. They would all laugh in his face in Italy if he returned empty handed! This was no way to spend eternity.

Damon blinked for the first time in hours, trying to formulate a plan. He knew he needed to get Renesmee away from her family again – but how? There were more than a dozen of them, not to mention the vile guard dogs that had flanked them all in the yard. He would be no match for them.

He needed help – but how? The determination for success rolled off of him in waves, but was brought to an abrupt halt when he realized that he had no power to do anything. He needed friends, but had none. The Volturi would be no help; they would only help him once he was a part of their ranks. The Cullens would never willingly give him Renesmee, and he knew enough about her that she wouldn't go willingly. So how would it happen?

Defeat had settled over him in a dark cloud when he heard it. Soft footsteps. Soft, yet determined. She walked with a purpose. He stood, frowning. That was no human.

His nostrils flared as he quickly stood, eying the heavy hotel room door that would be no match for a vampire. A quick breath slipped from his chest as a soft knock sounded against the hard surface.

Panic rose in him for a brief second, but curiosity for what was on the other side of that door surged up inside of him. Who could it be?

He swung the door open and was completely aghast at the figure that stood before him. His mouth fell open with an astonished gaze, and a smile played on the corner of her mouth.

She pushed past him into the room, lowering the hood on her long, expensive looking raincoat. Her crimson eyes flicked up to meet his, her painted ruby lips pursed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, watching as she removed her jacket. She wore a simple black dress, black stockings, and what appeared to be designer shoes. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a low bun, slicked back away from her round, childlike face.

"You don't want me here?" she asked, raising one perfect eyebrow. He jumped, holding out his hand.

"No! Please…by all means…" he said, putting a hand on her elbow. Her eyes moved down to the hand that was resting on her, and he instantly removed it.

"Does…Aro know?" he asked. Jane shook her head.

"No. I told him I had errands, but not what they were."

Damon was still completely shocked to see Jane there. Of course he had seen her flirtatious glances in Volterra, and he hadn't overlooked the interest she had taken in his quest. But why now?

"You're difficult to track."

Damon snorted, hanging up her coat. "I've been called worse."

Jane's eyes narrowed at him. "I said difficult, not impossible," she snapped. Damon froze, taken aback by her sharp tone.

"Why are you here?" he asked finally, closing the drapes of the large hotel suite. An amused look crossed her face, and she shook her head in a condescending way.

"I hadn't expected you to take this long. I thought you might need some help and judging by the mess you've made I would say that I'm right."

Damon frowned. "How do you know?" he shot back at her.

Jane looked around the room, the same condescending expression on her face. She was obviously unimpressed.

"The Volturi make it our business to know all, and in this situation, it's not hard to guess. You reek of vampire and shape shifter, yet here you are a week later with no hybrid vampire in your possession. Like I said," she replied, her voice hard and short. "It wasn't hard to tell that you were having trouble."

Damon growled deep in his chest, rolling his eyes. "My plans….were more difficult to carry out than I suspected. I came back here to…regroup," he finally said. He looked out a crack in the drapes at the city below them, trying to remain calm. This did not look good. A girl had come to help him because he couldn't handle it. A wave of humiliation washed over him.

"So what now?" he asked, looking back at her. Jane's lips curled back from her teeth into a sinister smile.

"I'm here to help. I want the Cullens and that insolent brat Bella gone. We have work to do," she hissed.

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"What are we doing here?" He asked several hours later. Jane looked at him pointedly, her crimson eyes almost icy and reproachful.

"We're here to work." Her voice was bored and haughty, yet clearly reminded him that she was the one in control. Damon had no idea how old Jane was. Her childlike features boasted a teenage appearance, but when she spoke with such hostility and determination it was hard to see her as anything but powerful.

He carefully placed her small piece of luggage on the expensive looking table beside him, marveling at the grand house. They were in a remote place on the outskirts of Vancouver, far away from any civilization. The house itself was large, a vacation home he guessed. It was beautifully decorated and secluded, perfect for hiding away, yet he had no idea why she had brought him here. Damon was beginning to grow impatient.

"The Cullens are in Denali. Why are we here?" he snapped.

Jane turned to look at him, her expression softening. As she daintily sauntered over to him, her heels clicked against the hardwood floors of the exquisite home. Her angelic mouth turned upwards in a tight, close mouthed smile, and her long black lashes batted against the tops of her pale cheeks. She reached her hand out, running her short nail down the side of Damon's check. A strange surge of energy coursed through him at her flirtations, his eyes boring into hers.

"We're here to do what you alone could not. We're here to finish the job. When you get what Aro wants, he will let you into the guard."

"You know this for a fact?" He asked skeptically. She pulled her hand back, debating whether or not to show her distaste for his question. Her face softened again, the tight smile returning.

"He won't be happy with what I'm about to do…" she purred. Her eyes shifted down, zoning out slightly. "No, he won't be happy at all. But with the hybrid as a prize, and you joining us as well…I'm hoping he will be lenient with me."

"So it is certain? If I bring him Renes- the hybrid, I will have a place with him? On the guard?"

Jane's eyes hardened, snapping back to meet his. Suddenly, Damon felt his entire body spasm

with a spear-like pain, shooting through his every muscle. It burned and licked at his every cell, torturing and burning him. He cried out in agony as the fire ripped through his bones, making him sick with pain. It throbbed through his body, twisting and ripping at his insides as though he was being turned all over again.

"Ah!" He grunted, feeling his heels lift off the ground. The pain seemed to suspend him there, writhing and moaning in agony.

"You will learn to trust me, Damon. You will learn that everything the Volturi gives has to be earned. And most of all…you will learn your place," she hissed to him as her mind continued to lash at him.

Damon hissed back at her as he burned, suspended in the roaring pain. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. He fell to the hard floor, gasping for breath. Looking up, he saw Jane's unemotional glare.

"You will listen to me," she reminded him sternly. Damon stood, albeit a bit further from her. He didn't know what she had just done to him, and he wasn't looking forward to having it happen again.

"I will," he agreed, eying her.

Jane's face twisted into a sickeningly sweet, closed mouth smile. She fluttered her eyelashes, sighing in content.

"Good. Now…" she began, clapping her small white hands together. "Now we go shopping."

"Shopping?"

Her hand on the door handle froze, her head whipping around to glare at him.

Damon's dead heart lurched in his chest. "Shopping it is," he said quickly. "Can I ask what for?"

Jane slowly smiled again, pulling the hood of her cloak up around her child-like features.

"Recruits."

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"Bite," she commanded, effortlessly holding down the writhing body.

Damon felt his eyes darken, and her white hand instantly came across his chiseled features in a condescending smack.

"Bite," she repeated. "Finish her and I'll make you pay for it, just like the others."

Damon winced, pulling his lips back over his teeth. Jane held the girl's wrist up to his lips, ignoring her terrified screams.

"Now," she hissed, pulling her own lips back to reveal a daunting set of teeth. Damon nodded, quickly sinking his teeth into the wrist of the girl. The teenager howled beneath him, her screams almost hurting his sensitive ears. Her blood oozed onto his tongue, coating his throat. He allowed himself one gulp of the hot liquid before running his tongue over the gash he had created, sealing it up.

He sat back on his heels, watching as the young girl thrashed and cried uselessly in Jane's iron grasp.

"Very good," she purred, giving him an approving stare. He felt another chill run down his spine as she looked at him, but soon something else drew his attention away.

One person would scream, then another. He could tell that some of them were trying to ride it out - they were the ones that were frozen, whimpering and almost comatose. Then there were others, who were still begging for death. One girl had begged him to kill her for nearly eleven hours the night before, and he had almost obliged. His crimson eyes glowed as they scanned the basement they were in. The abandoned house was serving as a home base for their project although it looked more like a horror movie. Bodies laid in rows; some of them burned while some of them lay cold and still – those were the ones who hadn't made it. Damon's control had been weak at first, spoiling a few of their efforts. Those who did make it were lined up in rows as their bodies turned to the hardened stone of a vampire. Their screams and calls for help went ignored.

Jane licked the last remnants of blood from her lip and stood, brushing off her hands. She smiled innocently, her red eyes scanning the room.

"Well done."

Damon looked away from the screaming people, remembering all too well what they were experiencing.

"How long?" he asked softly. Jane walked up beside him, weaving her arm with his.

"Not long. Three days. The first few should awaken on the dawn of the third day."

"And how will we control them?"

Jane stopped, giving him an incredulous look. "Do you doubt me?"

"No," he replied quickly, his eyes wide. She smiled, replacing the sinister expression that had graced her features only moments ago.

"Good. I know what I'm doing."

"Didn't you say this had been done before?"

"It has."

"So-"

She cut him off. "I didn't say it was done _right._"

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I hope you all enjoyed this little interlude! I had Jane flirt a little with Damon when he was back in Volterra for a reason. Jane wants a pet (Damon) to play with, and is so blinded by his need for power and revenge that he is willing to go with Jane's plan. I don't want to spoil The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner for those who hadn't read it, but the main surprise to me in that book was how involved the Volturi were with Riley and Victoria. I wanted to show that Jane thought it was a good plan, just poorly executed. I think she's hoping that if she's in charge, it will be done right. Cliffy, right?

For those of you who do not have me on alerts, I posted a new story! It's Alice/Jasper AH AU, and is a medieval fic entitled 'Fairytale'. The prologue and the first chapter are up, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The next chapter is back from the beta, Rain-It-Shall (who rocks, btw) and so if I get some feedback it will go up rather soon! So review, okay? : )


	37. Hurt

I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain

It's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name

I'm so in love that I acted insane

And that's the way I loved you

It's a roller coaster kind of rush

I never knew I could feel that much

And that's the way I loved you

_That's the way I loved you – Taylor Swift_

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HUGE thank you to **Rain-It-Shall** for beta-ing!

Also, thank you to everyone who has pimped this story, added me as a fav author, fav story, and put me on your alerts. I'm stunned and amazed that my little crossover story that could has done this well, and you all mean the world to me.

**And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I tried to respond to all of you, but I know was being wonky there for awhile and if you couldn't review, I apologize – I appreciate the effort : )**

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After leaving Renesmee at home with the rest of her family, Jacob still felt uneasy. It all seemed too good to be true really – she knew about the imprint, and from what he could tell, she was actually happy about it. She had seemed a little upset that he hadn't told her the truth all these years, but he would at least be able to bring up his agreement with Edward.

_Oh, don't drag Edward into this,_ Seth whined.

Jacob swore at him in his mind, annoyed at his pack mate for choosing Edward's side so quickly. _You would take his side, wouldn't you, Seth?_ He thought.

Seth shrugged and kept his nose to the ground. They weren't having much luck tracking Damon, and any hopes of finding him and _'taking care of it'_ as Jacob referred to it, were pretty much gone. He knew that Stefan didn't want them to kill his only brother, but if it was up to Jacob, he would hunt him down and tear him limb from limb, no questions asked. Anything that threatened Nessie was something he took personally.

_God damn it, I wanted to get to him before he had a chance to go to those Italian bloodsuckers!_ Jacob fumed.

_I was too, man. I had a feeling we weren't going to catch him._

_Why?_ Jacob huffed. They had split up their efforts, with Jacob and Seth pairing up to scour the mountainside closest to the Denali home. He hopped up onto a tall rock, scanning the scenery for anything that looked out of place. So far, nothing.

_This reminds me of that Victoria chick from way back. Remember her? It was like she knew where we were going to be before we got there. And then she just ran…and taunted us…god she was awful,_ Seth grumbled. He looked up at Jacob on the boulder and twitched his tail in an annoyed fashion.

Jacob fumed inwardly, annoyed to have Victoria brought up. It reminded him of a time in his life that he had tried so incredibly hard to forget. Remembering the childish way he fought for Bella's affections made him sick now. He couldn't help but hope that any more questions Nessie would have about his sick fascination with her mother so long ago would be directed at Bella, not him.

_She wasn't even alive yet, Jake. You can't blame yourself. You had no idea, Seth_ reasoned with him as they patrolled.

_That doesn't' make it go away, Seth. _

_I know, but…you shouldn't blame yourself for it. It was so long ago…you were in a different place then._

_I realize that, but that doesn't make it any less twisted. _

_I'm sure you just liked Bella so much because subconsciously you knew that she would give you Nessie someday. _

_That's pretty sick. _

_No one said imprinting was pretty._

_Yeah well…I loved Bells cuz she was Bells. That's all there was too it. I mistook friendship love for real love, _Jacob said. In his mind, he remembered the feelings he had towards Bella, then multiplied them times a million to show Seth what he felt for his imprint.

_See? Nothing to worry about. Just explain that to her…_

_Did someone make you the pack's voice of reason while I was gone? Cuz you sure love to dish out advice. Unsolicited._

_I'm just trying to help._

_Sorry Seth. I just want to find this stupid leech and end him. If we find him today…it's over. You've got my back, right?_

_Always, _Seth replied. The two wolves ran side by side for several miles, their noses to the ground and eyes scanning the scenery around them.

_He's not out there. He's already gone, I can tell._

_How do you know?_

_I can just feel it. He wouldn't make this easy for us. I knew he wouldn't, _Jacob said.

_Figures. Well, what should we do?_ Seth asked.

_I don't know…I just want to go home and see Ness. That stupid leech had better stay away from her…she's picked me, she made her choice…_

_Stefan?_

_Yeah. I dunno, I still feel like…what if she does still have feelings for him? They were pretty close when I was at school…I'm afraid…_

_Don't be, Jake. She's your girl now, and everything will be alright._

_You're awfully optimistic. _

_Aren't I always?_

_My luck is just never that good. _

_Then don't be a dumbass and screw it up._

_Me? Screw something up? Never,_ he laughed.

_Well, I'm just saying, you have a tendency to screw up a good thing. Just relax and let things happen naturally._

_You know a lot about imprinting for a pup,_ Jacob teased.

_Shut up, Jake, I'm not a pup anymore. I'm almost as old as you. Now listen. If you go back there and act all jealous and crap like you ALWAYS do, you'll just chase her away again. Don't be a jackass, Jake. Don't screw this up again._

_Seth, it's a lot easier to criticize from the outside, you know?_

Seth thought a moment. _I guess, but…the great ones never have it easy._

_The great ones, what?  
_

_Romances. Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde…even The Little Mermaid-_

_Seth!  
_

_Okay, okay, that one was a stretch. Sorry. But…none of them had it particularly easy. But if it was easy, would they have gotten books written for them? Or Disney movies? _

_I hate you._

_Whatever. You know I'm right. The great ones never have it easy, Jake. If they did then…they wouldn't really be that great._

Jacob had to hand it to Seth – he knew his younger pack mate was right.

_Don't give up now, Jake. You can be your own worst enemy sometimes is all I'm saying._

_I guess you're right, _Jacob mumbled, turning to trot down the mountainside. Seth ambled behind him, still sniffing around.

_Just take it easy. She chose you, just like you wanted. And you're right…she was close with Stefan, so it's not going to be easy for her to just let him go, especially with him hanging around all the time. But have a little faith in her that she'll do the right thing._

_You're right Seth. As much as I HATE to admit it, you're definitely right. _

_I know, right? _Seth laughed. Jacob swiped at him with his paw, and Seth ducked out of the way quickly with a laugh.

_I sure hope you're right, Seth…_

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Renesmee stood in the doorway, her jaw hanging open. There, in front of her, were two women that were Nahuel's sisters. They had human eyes, beating hearts, yet their slightly bronzed skin still shone in the afternoon sunlight. One of them was much more than the other.

"Renesmee?" Nahuel prompted, looking at her strangely. She blinked quickly, trying to clear her mind and remember her manners, but she was in so much shock she could barely speak. It was one thing to hear stories about Nahuel's sisters, but it was quite another to meet two of them face to face.

_They're just like me,_ she thought in awe.

"Please, welcome…come in!" Alice finally chirped, edging Renesmee out of the way. Renesmee laughed, giving her aunt a '_really?_' look, but moved to the side so that the three of them could come inside the Denali home.

"It's really good to see you. I'm glad you guys were able to come! How fortunate that you were around!" Alice said excitedly, eying the two strangers. "I caught a vision of them running around in…where were you? Somewhere warm…"

"I believe we were somewhere in Montana when you called," he replied.

Alice giggled, her tinkling laughter echoing in the large entryway of the Denali home. "Yes, well...I was just lucky you had that phone on you! I called him as soon as I could to get him up here."

Nahuel laughed, flashing his bright, white teeth. His tan skin glowed, even through his 'human' clothes. Nahuel usually donned the least amount of clothing Renesmee had ever seen on a human, but now he wore jeans, a black t-shirt, and a zip up sweatshirt over that. His sisters each had on jeans, but their shirts were too big and dirty looking. All three of them were barefoot, standing in the foyer of the room.

"We uh…had to dress in whatever we could find along the way," he said softly, following her eyes. Alice stepped forward, beaming. Renesmee still stood shocked in doorway, staring openly at the two women in front of her. She was absolutely fascinated. She had never in her life imagined that she would actually have a chance to see Nahuel's sisters, even though he had spoken of them on many of his visits. He described them as lofty, hard to find, and distant creatures who rarely trusted anyone. To have them standing in front of her now amazed her completely.

"We'd be happy to help you any way we can. I'm just so glad you're all here! Now can we meet your sisters, Nahuel?"

Nahuel smiled at Alice's forwardness, grinning ear to ear. "Yes, Alice," he laughed. "This," he said, motioning to the first woman, "Is Isadora. She is from Chile, and we found each other not long after I returned home from Forks the first time," he said.

Isadora stepped forward giving them a small wave. She was small, about Bella's size, with wild, curly, light brown hair that hung in tiny ringlets all around her face. They shone with pretty golden blonde highlights from time spent in the sun, and although she had pale skin, it was somehow subtly bronzed, unlike Renesmee's pale white skin. She had soft brown eyes, almost like her own, that were set in her round, perfect face.

"Hello," she said, giving them an awkward smile. Nahuel beamed at her reassuringly, and she stepped back to let her other sister be welcomed.

Renesmee had gotten several short visits from Nahuel over the years, and was relieved to see that each time she saw him he was a much happier person than the time before. It had taken awhile, but he had slowly recovered from his long depression.

"And this is my newest sister…I've just found her six weeks ago. This is Estrella," he said.

He motioned her forward, and the tall, almost gangly looking girl stepped closer. She appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen, while Isadora looked somewhat older, possibly in her twenties.

_Estrella must not be full grown,_ Renesmee thought.

Estrella stood tall, probably around 5'10, with long arms and legs that reminded Renesmee of a gazelle. Her light brown hair was almost the same color as Isadora's, only hers was bleached blonde from the sun in the front near her face, and hung halfway down her back. She had a funny shaped but cute little nose, full, wide lips, and a pair of the most beautiful sea-green eyes Renesmee had ever seen. They were absolutely piercing.

"Hi," Renesmee said, holding out a hand to her. The girl looked utterly confused and lost, standing there, her eyes darting around the room. Estrella looked down at Renesmee's hand blankly, her eyes moving back up to meet hers.

Estrella gave her a weak smile, but did nothing.

"Okay," Renesmee mumbled, putting her hand down. Nahuel chuckled quietly, patting Renesmee on the elbow.

"Forgive Estrella. She grew up in a rural village in southern Brazil…she doesn't speak English yet, dear Renesmee," he assured her, his own accent somewhat heavy.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Renesmee replied out of habit. The exotic looking half vampire just looked back at her with a lost expression.

_She looks like a foreign model_, Renesmee thought wistfully. This girl was maybe even prettier than Rosalie – and that was truly beautiful.

"Can we teach her?" Alice asked excitedly, clasping her hands together. Renesmee smiled to herself as she was sure Alice was ecstatic to have a chance at a fresh slate when it came to someone.

"She knows only one word," Nahuel replied. "Blood."

At the mention of the word, Estrella's eyes lit up and she grinned. "Blood," she repeated, her accent thick and foreign sounding. Alice giggled, and Renesmee joined her.

"Can you teach her...Engl-ish?" Isadora spoke up. "Mine is bad t-to," she finished shakily. Alice rushed forward, grabbing both Isadora and Estrella's hands.

"We'll teach you!" she assured them both with an infectious smile. Alice rattled off something in a language that sounded like Spanish, but was more guttural and had more syllables; Renesmee guessed a version of Portuguese. Isadora gave her a shy nod, but Estrella beamed proudly, her white teeth sparkling.

Renesmee spent the next few hours getting caught up with her friend Nahuel, while Estrella and Isadora were introduced to some human food by Alice in the kitchen.

Estrella shook her head violently after tasting some cheese. "No. Blood," she insisted firmly, crossing her long arms over her chest. She frowned for a second, but her face broke into a smile that quickly spread over her entire face. She laughed at herself, looking at her sister Isadora who was eating an orange next to her.

Renesmee was only half listening to Nahuel as he spoke of life in the deep, South American jungle. She was just so fascinated to meet two other women that were exactly like her. Did they have the same fears as she did? Did they feel like they didn't belong anywhere as well? Did they often feel like freaks?

Alice caught her eye and smiled, and Renesmee mimicked the gesture. Alice always knew how to help.

"So you like my sisters?" Nahuel joked, elbowing her where she sat at the kitchen table. Renesmee giggled, nodding.

"I do. I wish Jacob was here. I want him to meet them because we've spent my whole life just thinking I was this freak…"

"I'm sure your Jacob did not think you were a freak," Nahuel reminded her gently. Renesmee gave him a crooked smile.

"Well, no, I guess he didn't. But I always did, Nahuel. You know how it is to be like us – we don't fit anywhere."

Nahuel watched her with his expressive eyes, taking in her forlorn expression and sad smile. "This has really been bothering you, hasn't it?" he asked.

She nodded, looking over at Estrella who was sniffing at some cereal Alice was offering her.

"They're both really beautiful," she told him quietly. He looked at his two half-sisters, nodding eagerly.

"They are. But…their lives haven't been fair. Isadora had it a little easier, growing up with her aunt…but she had to learn early on what she was and what she could and couldn't do. She's had a very hard life. But Estrella…I just…I shudder to think…"

"What happened to her?" Renesmee asked, her interest piqued. She felt bad talking about the poor girl when she was standing right there, but couldn't resist- she knew Estrella couldn't understand what they were talking about anyway.

"Well, I've been on the hunt for my father for years," he began. "Well, I found Estrella six weeks ago when I was traveling up through Brazil. I'm not certain that she's my sister for sure, but the facts are all there. She thinks she's about eight-years-old, but she cannot be certain…she's spent most of her life alone."

"Alone?" Renesmee asked her eyes wide.

"Yes. She lived in a tiny jungle village far, far, away from any civilization, and her people were afraid of her from the start. They called her the devil child for growing so fast and for killing her mother. She tried for years to live as a normal human girl, but didn't understand her thirst. She isn't venomous either, so when she did bite people she didn't kill them. However…that still didn't make her very popular."

"What did she do after that?"

"She thinks when she was about four she moved into the jungle outside of the village. They all knew something wasn't right with her, but she is a smart girl and knew to hide her speed and talents…but…her skin…"

"She shimmers like me?"

Nahuel shook his head. "Sadly, no. She sparkles almost as much as a real vampire. She cannot be in the sunlight around humans."

Renesmee looked over at the tall girl, instantly saddened for her. "Oh, that's so sad…"

"Yes, well…she survived most of her life on jungle fruit and things like that until I taught her how to hunt animals. How she never attacked an animal in wild thirst is beyond me. She likes it, and she doesn't feel scared that she's going to be tempted anymore. Estrella is a great person, inside and out."

"Is she gifted like me?" Renesmee asked hopefully. Nahuel laughed, patting her hand.

"No, Renesmee, only you are the gifted half breed. We are just normal hybrids."

She snorted at him, crossing her arms. "That's a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it?"

Nahuel was about to answer her when the search party that was out hunting for Damon returned through the back doors, Edward leading the way, followed by an irritated Emmett, Garrett, and Jasper.

"Nothing?" Alice asked, flitting to Jasper's side. He shook his head silently as the rest of the family came from their places around the house to welcome everyone home from their depressing search.

Renesmee looked down at her lap as the rest of her vampire family began to congregate in the great room. Looking at the snow and mud spattered on their clothes, a nearly paralyzing wave of guilt washed over her. She knew they had been out looking for Damon, and it was all because of her that they had been out searching in the bleak Alaskan wilderness.

Renesmee hugged her parents tightly, looking up at them as they embraced her. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," she added, looking at everyone once they were all gathered in the great room.

Edward touched her cheek, giving her a weak smile. "We'll fix this, Renesmee."

She nodded, her cheeks burning as she felt the eyes of her family on her. "Yes, but it was my silly behavior and mistakes that led us here in the first place. Can you ever forgive me?" she asked, looking around the room with hopeful eyes.

Everyone nodded sadly in silent agreement, and she felt a little better. "I'm so sorry for what I've put everyone through these past few weeks. I know…things are bad, and they're all my fault."

"That's very mature of you, Renesmee," Edward said. "But you are right – your behavior did start much of this. I'm glad you've learned from your experience though."

She nodded sadly, but kept her chin up. There was no looking back now, and she couldn't fix what was in the past. She could only hope to do her best to not disappoint everyone she loved in the future.

While the rest of the family gave them some space, Renesmee and her parents went back into the kitchen where Nahuel and his sisters were still waiting.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Nahuel asked, his eyes darting in the direction of the Great Room. Edward smiled, embracing the bronzed man.

"You couldn't have come at a better time, old friend," he replied. "I know Renesmee is glad to have you here to talk to."

After everyone had met Estrella and Isadora, Renesmee glanced outside to look for Jacob and the rest of the pack, who had still not returned.

"Jacob is assigning patrol routes for the night shifts," Edward replied, hearing her thoughts. She nodded, looking eagerly out the windows.

_I missed him,_ she thought. _Now that things are better…I want to be with him all the time…_

Edward's eyes flicked up to meet hers and she shrunk down into her chair slightly. _I'm sorry, Dad, _she thought to him_. I figured out about…this imprinting thing on my run home. Why didn't you ever tell me?_

Edward motioned to her, and together they darted up to Eleazar's private office.

She stood in front of the windows looking out over the lawn, spying Jacob in human form, talking to a half circle of wolves around him. They were deciding who would run what route and when during the nights and days until they heard back from Damon. And she knew that they would.

"Please try not to worry about that," Edward said gently. She looked at her father and smiled. He had always wanted to protect her from everything evil and dangerous in life, and just because she was full grown that certainly hadn't changed.

"You're right, it hasn't," he said, answering her thought. She blushed, looking down to trace her finger along the edge of Eleazar's mahogany desk.

"You know, you could have told me about Jacob imprinting on me," she said, her voice soft but firm. She was still upset that no one had told her what was going on, yet she knew that anger was not the way to prove her point. Yelling and throwing a bit of a tantrum was what she would have done a year ago. Not anymore.

Edward crossed his arms, leaning against the window frame. "You have grown up. You're completely right," he mused, giving her a crooked smile. "Although I wouldn't blame you in the least for being upset with me," he admitted.

"I'm not upset, Dad. I just wish…I just wish it would have been done differently is all. He obviously had imprinted on me…awhile ago."

"At birth."

"He did?" she asked, her eyes wide. She hadn't guessed it had been that early – she needed to talk to Jacob about the details of the imprint thing right away. "Yes, and…no one even gave me a chance to handle it."

"Could you have?"

She shrugged, glancing back out the window. "I don't know…"

Edward sighed, squeezing her elbow. "You know, I've lived over a century and I still have so much to learn."

She sighed, looking up into his perfect golden eyes. "Dad, I just…I'm trying to take responsibility for everything now and be a grown up like I'm supposed to. And I'm sorry for everything…it was stupid to run off with Damon, it was even stupider to abuse Stefan's feelings, and-"

He held up a white hand to her. "Renesmee, these are all mistakes a normal eighteen-year-old could make."

"Dad, you and I both know that I'm seven."

"True, but I consider a human adult to be eighteen. However, I know that even though a normal person turns eighteen doesn't mean that they automatically have the thoughts, feelings, sense of responsibility that a normal adult does. I realize that that can take time," he replied.

She nodded. "You get it," she quietly fumed. "Now I just need everyone else to."

"They'll understand eventually. You're practically one of a kind, Renesmee. You'll figure things out."

"Sometimes I feel like I never will," she said sadly, still tracing the edge of Eleazar's desk. "There should be a manual on how to do things."

Edward smiled wryly. "Ah yes, that one. _'How to raise your hybrid daughter'_...mmm, yes, I hear it was a best seller."

"Dad," she pleaded. "I just…I'm trying. I'm trying to make up for everything that I've done wrong."

"I understand that. I respect that, as well."

"Which brings me back to Jacob."

"Ah, yes, Jacob."

Renesmee listened patiently as her father described to her the circumstances around Jacob imprinting on her – it was a huge taboo at the time, and something that Edward and Bella didn't fully understand much less have an idea how to explain to her. Therefore, they had decided to wait until she was seven to do so. Then, when the kiss in the woods had happened with Jacob and they had left for Denali, there hadn't been much time for them to explain much of anything. They had even doubted the power of the imprint bond when Stefan had appeared in her life.

She was still a bit irritated at her parents for not telling her about it, but her need to be mature and deal with the news as an adult would stifle her longing for reproach.

They returned back to the kitchen where Jacob and his pack were filing in to eat something.

"You make food?" Isadora stuttered in broken English to Carmen, who was heating up the oven.

"Yes, I cook for all these _lobos!" _ Carmen laughed, tossing her long, dark hair over her shoulder. Jacob trotted into the kitchen at the mention of food, followed by Collin, who skidded to a halt in the doorway. His eyes widened, scanning the crowd of Renesmee, Carmen, the pack, Nahuel, Isadora, and finally, Estrella.

Renesmee watched in complete wonder as his jaw dropped open slightly, his face going slack. His dark brown eyes widened as he took in the sight of her, leaning against the counter in her dirty jeans and t-shirt.

One by one, everyone in the kitchen seemed to stop talking as Collin stared at Estrella, who was still standing against the counter, her eyes darting around the room. Isadora had taken a slightly defensive stance behind Carmen, who was stirring a huge pot of pasta on the stove with little interest. She, like everyone else, was staring at the scene going on right in front of them.

A chorus of chuckles and whispers rose up between the wolf pack boys. "Oh shit," Embry snorted, laughing into his hand.

"Oh…my…god…" Brady laughed. Seth just looked between the two of them, a look of shock on his face, and Jacob just smiled knowingly while nodding his head.

"Did I miss something?" Renesmee asked suddenly, and every eye in the room shot to meet hers. Every eye except for Collin, who was staring straight at Estrella.

"Collin, you alright man?" Jacob asked cautiously, putting his hand on Collin's bare shoulder.

Collin jumped, breaking his eye contact with Estrella. "What?"

"Are you alright?" Jacob repeated, eyeing Estrella nervously. Renesmee watched as Collin stared at her again while Estrella calmly walked up him, her own eyes full of wonder and exhilaration. She stopped about two feet from him, her eyes almost even with his, and smiled. Collin's eyes widened even more as he let out a shaky breath, and then he inhaled slowly as he stared at her.

She turned her head and frowned slightly at him almost expectantly as she stood in front of him, and when he did nothing, she looked over at Nahuel and Isadora. Collin continued to stare at her, his expression was a mixture of awe and excitement, until Estrella opened her mouth.

"Blood?"

Collin closed his mouth as Estrella looked at Nahuel expectantly, jutting out her chin and her pouty pink lips.

"She wants to hunt," Nahuel said slowly. "I should probably take her. She's gotten used to feeding now, and doesn't care as much for human food," he explained slowly, his eyes darting to Collin.

"Who….what…" Collin gasped, suddenly shaking his head and looking around the room. He looked like he had just been woken up unexpectedly from a deep, peaceful sleep. Renesmee looked at Jacob in question_; what had just happened? _One second Collin looked like he was in love, and then the next…he looked completely horrified.

"Come, Estrella," Nahuel urged her gently. "We'll go find some squirrels for you," he added. She looked like she recognized the word, and left eagerly with him, casting Collin one last questioning glance.

The boys all exhaled in speechless shock as they looked at a still frozen Collin.

"I gotta….I…I'll…be…somewhere else," he muttered, bolting from the room.

Jacob watched as Collin disappeared from the kitchen, amused looks on their faces. She stood up quickly, darting to Jacob's side. "What happened?" she asked him frantically. "One minute he was fine, the next he…he…"

Jacob smiled calmly at her as his pack mates continued to make fun of Collin's face and laugh amongst themselves behind him.

"Collin just…imprinted on that half breed," Jacob replied calmly, giving Renesmee an amused smile. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, waiting to see what she would say.

Renesmee gaped at him for a second, taking that all in. _So…was that what Jacob had done to her?_

He seemed to read her mind for a moment, and he gave her another pleased smile.

"Understand better now?"

She nodded, looking at the place where Collin had just stood. Now more than ever she wanted more details on imprinting.

He seemed to read her thoughts again as he watched her take it all in. "Let me grab a quick bite to eat, and then we'll go somewhere and I'll explain. Okay?" he asked, eying the spaghetti Carmen was placing on the island for the boys. Pasta was easy for her because it was relatively difficult to cook wrong. The boys dug in, and Renesmee nodded at Jacob who quickly grabbed a plate.

After dinner, they headed up to her bedroom with a few stern looks from Edward, but with little resistance. They sat on her bed, facing each other as she waited to hear Jacob explain everything.

She crossed her legs and put her hands in her lap, waiting patiently. "Well?" she finally asked.

He frowned, his black eyebrows pushing together in the middle of his tan face. "Well, what?" he asked.

Renesmee huffed, throwing her pale hands into the air. "Explain everything! Imprinting, the deal with my parents, the last seven years, whatever the HELL just happened to Collin down there! Just…ulgh, everything!" she demanded.

Jacob raised on eyebrow and shook his head. "Are you done now?"

She clicked her tongue in an annoyed fashion, then settled down. "I guess. Spill. What happened to Collin?"

Jacob took a deep breath, looked down at the bedspread nervously, and sighed. "He imprinted on…whoever that was."

"Estrella."

"Right. Well, he imprinted on her."

"So….they're like…in love?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, Ness, not really. That just means that they're soul mates - made for each other. He's her perfect match. Quileute's believe that our spirits are made for one other person, and one person only. Like fate."

"So wait….he didn't pick her?"

Jacob winced, then shook his head. "No, he didn't. But that doesn't mean anything!" he added quickly. "Imprinting is about getting to know the subject of whoever it is and winning them over by being whatever they need you to be, like I said earlier…"

"So…is that what you did to me?"

Jacob looked a little uncomfortable, but shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it was a bit different than that. Honestly…Just…Ness, promise you won't get upset with me, okay?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Whatever he wasn't telling her yet didn't look like good news. At all.

"When I imprinted on you, I had originally come to the house to….k-kill you."

Her eyes widened so large that for a moment it felt like they would sail out of her sockets. "You…you what?"

"Ness, remember what I said. We didn't know what you were. So I…I was going to take care of you. I thought you were a monster that killed my best friend and…I didn't understand what you would be. When I saw you I…"

"You imprinted on me," she said slowly. Her mind raced as she strained to remember those first few hours of her life. They were slightly blurrier than the rest of her life, but these memories became clearer and clearer as she grew. She had a select few that she could play back with complete recall: the first time she saw her parents; her first feeding with Rose; being measured by Carlisle, playing in the bathtub with Esme…and seeing Jacob for the first time.

"How had I not noticed that before?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. She was deep in thought as she mulled over the time he had seen her over Rosalie's shoulder, just barely an hour old.

"I don't know…I was hoping you'd forget really…"

"No, Jake, I don't want to forget!" She gasped, grabbing his hands in hers. She squeezed them tightly, her eyes still wide as she thought. "You wanted to kill me…That's messed up…." She whispered in disbelief. She looked sideways at Jacob, still coming to grips with the fact that the wanted to actually kill her. The person who was her other half, her best friend, her soul mate…had wanted to kill her at first. Her mind raced as it put everything together.

"So…you imprinted on me as a baby?" she asked skeptically, her nose crinkled up.

"Well…it's not the same way Collin imprinted on her. It's a bit different with smaller…people," he added awkwardly.

Renesmee made a face at him and tried to keep all the details straight. "So…you imprinted on me as a baby, but not like Collin did?"

Jacob sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"How do I even begin to explain this…"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob sighed as he and Renesmee walked back down the steps into the Great Room. He hoped that he had explained imprinting and what had happened to Renesmee thoroughly enough, but how could be possibly even begin to explain something that odd and complicated? There was no way. He could simply hope that he had done the best he could.

His nostrils flared as he walked down the steps behind her. Looking up, an annoyed look crossed his face when he spotted Stefan in the corner of the Great Room, gazing out the tall glass windows where Damon had been just a short time ago.

When they got to the bottom of the steps, he watched Renesmee's face change when she spied him, and his thoughts instantaneously grew dark. She was sad for him, that much was clear. Personally, he still wanted to rip the fucker to shreds, but that wasn't up to him. He knew that would hurt Renesmee, and he wasn't willing to do that in order to get even with a stupid bloodsucker.

Renesmee turned and looked up at him, almost asking for silent permission. He gave her a short nod, trying his best to keep his expression casual as Stefan turned around and looked at them. He watched as his imprint practically floated up to the vampire in the corner of the room, wrapping an arm around his waist. She laid her copper head on his shoulder, releasing a small sigh. Stefan glanced at Jacob blankly, and Jacob did the same.

An hour ago, he had been sure that Renesmee had picked him. Now, looking at something like this…he wasn't so sure. He watched for a moment from the bottom of the steps. Renesmee stroked Stefan's arm, but it wasn't anything…flirty. It was more…comforting. But how could it not be? Anytime she touched Jacob he was instantly calmer. Feelings of jealousy and vile rose up in his chest, and he had to swallow a few times to make them go away.

At that moment, he just wanted Stefan to go away – period.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They stood together in front of the tall windows, gazing out at the sunset as it dipped below the tree line. The sun's last rays of day made the fresh snow that covered the backyard glitter.

Renesmee looked up at Stefan, squeezing his arm. "Are you alright?" she murmured after a few more silent moments. He tore his green and golden eyes away from the shimmering lawn, thinking for a moment. His gaze met hers, and he shrugged.

"I guess I have to be."

"They won't kill him, Stefan. They won't kill your brother. We can work this out and…and maybe he could be good again."

Stefan laughed bitterly, his voice low. "Damon upsets me, but he doesn't surprise me. I never expected him to return peacefully."

"He might. We don't' know that," she pointed out.

Stefan sighed, pulling her closer to his side. "Renesmee, one of the things that I love about you is your ability to always see the good in things. And people."

Renesmee stared out the back windows. _One of the things that he loves about me? As in…he loves me? Oh god, this is so bad…_

Trying to ignore his words, she took a deep breath. "Stefan, things could still work out and be okay. I know Damon is…well, Damon, but…maybe he can learn to be good again. If anyone could help him, it would be you."

Stefan stared out at the lawn, not blinking. "I used to think I was good, but…now I'm not so sure."

"Why do you say that? Why would you say such a thing? Of course you're good."

Stefan was silent for a moment. "Not good enough, apparently."

Renesmee's stomach sank a little as she realized that Stefan wasn't just unhappy about Damon. He was upset about her, too.

She thought for a moment, pressing her lips together as his gaze shifted back to the lawn. She loosened her grip on his arm, pulling away to look at him.

"You're plenty good. I don't deserve you, much less your friendship."

Stefan shuddered slightly at the word 'friendship' and she heard him swallow.

"You deserve far more than what I can give you."

"Stefan…"

"No," he said firmly. He fell silent again, his fingertips gripping her side as she leaned against him.

"Do you hate me?" She asked thoughtfully.

He blinked, his long eyelashes dashing across the tops of his pale cheeks. He slowly sighed and shook his head.

"No, Renesmee, I don't. I…I wanted to, but…I can't hate what I love the most," he replied gently, turning to look at her.

She felt her heart fall to her feet.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She stared at herself in the mirror, hating what she saw. She saw a life-ruining, selfish being that had been completely careless with the emotions of a very fragile being.

_I hate myself,_ she thought, turning her head to the side. What she had done to Stefan would not go away, no matter how she looked at it. Sure, she and Jacob were somewhat happy now that they were getting their feelings sorted out, but at what cost? She had nearly killed Stefan emotionally with her choice.

_If I hadn't acted like an immature little deviant in the first place, none of this would have happened. How could I have been so careless? I used him…and now instead of just me being hurt, we're both miserable,_ she thought.

The image of a forlorn looking Stefan standing in front of the windows in the great room, blankly staring off into space had made her heart break in sadness. How could she have been so cruel to use him like that? She would give anything to be able to go back and do the past few months over again with the knowledge she had now.

_But I suppose that's part of growing up…realizing that mistakes have consequences...and in my case…big ones,_ she thought.

The steam from the running shower eventually clouded the mirror across from her too much to see. She peeled off her clothes and stepped in, hoping that the warm jets would help her ease her jumbled mind.

Things would be good now if she wouldn't have been such an immature monster when arriving in Denali. Had she acted like she wanted to now, she would have been able to be with Jake and possibly even have Stefan as a friend had she not used him. She felt her body sliding down the white tiles to curl up on the shower floor. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she sat there in the steaming water to try to sort out her thoughts and calm the dull ache that had began to pound in her chest.

Before she knew what was happening, tears had begun to form in her eyes, threatening to spill over. The picture in her mind of Jacob on one side, Stefan on the other, made her sob. The feeling of breaking someone's heart was almost as bad as having her heart broken, and boy did she know how that felt. Her actions with Stefan had been merciless, and now she had to pay the price for them. Squeezing her eyes shut, the hot liquid ran down her cheeks, meshing with the streams of water.

When would everything be okay again?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

*whew*

Well I hope you enjoyed meeting the hybrids! I won't go into too much detail about them in this story because I want to focus on Renesmee and Jake, but I did want to show Collin imprinting on Estrella so that Renesmee could see what happens when a wolf imprints. That said, I've already gotten questions about what happens on the imprintee's side of things when she is imprinted on – honestly, I don't know that SM ever goes into that. I wanted to show that Estrella was drawn to Collin, even though HE imprinted on HER.

While we're on the topic of Estrella, **her name is pronounced 'Es-tray-ya' **for those of you who don't speak Spanish. Translated, it means 'star' which I thought was fitting for a beautiful hybrid : )

**IMPORTANT!** A few chapters ago, I asked who you thought the spinoff star would be for Untouchable. A few of you guessed right: Collin. I have a short story planned out and partially written for Collin and Estrella, but I just wanted to see if people would read it. There are only ten chapters and they are MUCH shorter than Untouchable – it's just a short little story about a wolf that tries to avoid his imprint and what happens with those two. _**If you would like to read it, let me know.**_ I have most of it written, but I am on the fence about posting it or not, as I realize Collin is a bit of a secondary character. The fic is from Collin's POV, and starts off when Jacob summons the pack up to Alaska to help with Damon. I had written it just for fun, but I will post it if I think people are interested. Please let me know if you would like to hear more about these two!

**That said, review!**


	38. Coming to grips

Whenever I feel  
your memory is breaking my heart  
I'll pretend I'm okay with it all  
Act like there's nothing wrong  
Is it over yet?  
Can I open my eyes?  
Is this what it feels like to really cry?

_Cry – Kelly Clarkson_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Quick Author's Note:** Isadora and Estrella are still learning proper English. They are learning quickly, but please keep in mind they are still having lessons. Their speech is supposed to sound broken and incorrect – they're not typos. : )

**Also, the rating of this story has officially been switched to 'M'**. I know there is a lot of drama going on out there with reporting stories and authors and such, and I'm not taking any chances. **There is M rated content in this chapter,** and there will most likely be some form of M content in most of the chapter from here on out. You've been warned.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"There you are," Jacob called, poking his head into the library. Collin turned around, tossing his head so that his shaggy hair fell out of his eyes.

"What?" he asked flatly. Jacob made a face as he strode up to his younger pack mate and tried to remain calm. He knew that Collin needed him as both an Alpha and a friend at the moment. However, Collin didn't exactly look like he was hoping for some friendly advice.

Imprinting was not something that could be taken lightly, and this was no exception. He could tell by the wild look in Collin's eyes that he still hadn't come to terms with imprinting on a half vampire, half human hybrid. Jacob tried his best to remain patient. He sat down next to him on the leather couches in the library, where Collin was sitting. The young man was sitting hunched forward, his hands folded on his knees, staring into the gas flames in the fireplace.

Neither one of them spoke for several seconds. The silence in the large room was slowly making Jacob crazy.

"What's wrong with you?"

Collin snorted, running his hands through his tangled, shaggy hair. Jacob watched as he yanked his fingers out, staring out the windows of the library. He looks like he's gonna jump outta his skin, Jacob thought with a smirk. He shook his head, trying to remain somewhat authoritative. Collin needed him now more than ever.

"Did you just imprint on a freaking hybrid vampire?" he panted, his eyes wide.

Jacob snorted. "Yeah, I did. About seven and a half years ago!" Jacob snapped back at him. Collin's face showed surprise, and then slowly his expression softened.

"Oh yeah…I guess you did," Collin added sheepishly.

"Yeah, I did," Jacob said sternly. Both men sat, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry, man," Collin finally said after a few moments. Jacob raised one eyebrow, but sensed that Collin wasn't done talking.

"I just…I don't know what to do. I've waited for her for years and now…now look at her!"

"It's a good thing she doesn't understand English," Jacob chuckled. "What's the big deal?" he asked, trying to remain casual.

Collin gave him an incredulous look. "Jake, man…I hate vampires. I mean, the Alaska vamps and the Cullens are all fine, and Ness is great, but…I just…I imprinted on one. You know me Jake. _I hate vampires_. Now I've gone and imprinted on one. What the hell? The universe must hate me. I feel like I'm being punished, Jake…you don't get it."

Jacob snorted. "You can't help it. It's natural."

Collin laughed bitterly. "It's natural to imprint on a freak?"

Jacob recoiled slightly, his expression quickly darkening. "Careful," he growled. "I imprinted on a half breed, too."

"Yeah but...that's Ness. She's like a human, just…more durable. That girl in there…"

"What about her? She looked perfect for you. What's the problem?"

"She's half a vampire, Jake. What am I supposed to do? You know how I feel about vampires. I almost got killed by one, like…really killed! How do you think I'm going to react to imprinting on someone who is half one?"

Jacob shook his head. "That's not for you to worry about. You imprinted on her, and that's that. Take that as the universe telling you what's what. What are you bitching about? At least yours is full grown when you met her!"

"It doesn't matter…I don't want her."

Now it was Jacob's turn to look incredulous. "What, are you dreaming? You can't refuse it. You'd die trying…believe me, I would know."

"You think I'd die trying to avoid that?"

"Careful. My Ness is the same as her…" Jacob warned, leaning closer to his pack mate. Collin growled under his breath, huffing indignantly.

"I don't want this Jake. She's not for me."

"She is, Collin. Obviously, she is! Otherwise you wouldn't have imprinted on her. What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not going to go anywhere near her."

Jacob laughed. "Yeah," he said with a mocking grin. "You just let me know how that works out for you."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Jacob guffawed loudly. "The hell I don't! Where the hell have you been, Collin? I just spent the last how many months avoiding my imprint and doing things the hard way and we both nearly paid dearly for it. It would have killed me if something happened to Ness, because it was my own damn fault."

"Took you long enough," Collin muttered. Jacob slapped his bare knees, jumping up from his spot on the couch.

"Exactly man, that's what I'm trying to tell you! You can't avoid this imprinting thing, and nothing will be right with the world again until you get this sorted out. Did you not like…_SEE _what happened to me the past few months? Open your eyes and don't make my same mistakes!"

Collin fumed, grabbing fistfuls of his hair again. "I just…I can't. I can't imprint on a hybrid."

Jacob smacked him on the back. "You can, and you did. Deal."

Collin jerked his head up. "How the hell am I going to do that? I'm terrified of….I just…it can't be."

Jacob thought a moment. He wasn't doing a very good job of reassuring Collin.

"Collin, think of it this way. You imprinted on someone else who isn't human. Okay, I can see how that would have you a bit shaken."

"A bit?" Collin snapped. Jacob held up his hands.

"Hold on. Just work with me. Think about it: your mate is going to be someone like you. Someone different, someone who understands how it is to be like us. Emily and Rachel are great, but…they don't get it. They never will, and that's not their fault. But imagine what it's like to be with someone like you."

"She is NOT like me," Collin insisted, pressing his lips into a determined line. Jacob bit the insides of his cheeks, trying to remain calm.

"Just listen. I'm telling you what life could be like, Collin. I've just gotten a taste of it with Ness, and…it's amazing so far to be with someone like that. She knows what it's like to be different – to have a secret. When we're together we _get _each other."

"Lately, you haven't been sure," Collin pointed out. Jacob sighed.

"I know things have been hard lately, but I can't help but feel like that's going to turn around. You don't get it – you're made for each other. Things have to turn around. That's what I've learned through all of this."

"So what if it doesn't work out with someone like her?"

Jacob laughed. "How could it not? Think about it, Collin – you won't have to worry about hurting her physically. She'll be fast…you can just go out together and just run. Really run. She can keep up with you, she can be with you when you're in wolf form and understand what it's like to not be normal. You'll have someone to share that with – forever."

Collin looked up. "Forever?"

Jacob nodded. "She's a hybrid, Collin. She's like Ness – she's immortal, just like us."

"Hey man, I don't' have to live forever. I can stop phasing and die eventually."

Jacob shook his head. "You don't get it. You won't want to."

Collin thought a moment. "You really mean it, don't you? You're sure she's like us?"

Jake nodded. "That's what they said about her."

Collin looked down at his hands. "That's crazy…I could like…I could live forever. I could phase for the rest of my life," he said softly.

Jacob nodded. "You see? It won't be so bad. I'll always be around. Everyone else…they'll get old and change, but we'll still be here."

"That's kinda sad," Collin admitted, his voice cracking with emotion. He thought of all his pack mates and friends with mortal imprints; Quil, Seth, Sam, Jared, Paul…They would all die someday. And he and Jacob would be left behind, never changing, never growing, and never dying.

"I know. But you don't get it – it won't be sad because she'll be there. That will be all that matters soon – if you let it."

Collin looked up at him, his face somber. "I just don't think I can."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee did her best to tip toe away from the library doors. She had overheard Jacob and Collin's conversation about Estrella, and didn't want to get caught eavesdropping. Ever since their conversation about imprinting and its meaning had been interrupted in the woods, she was dying to know more about it. She understood all of the main facts about it, but the details were still blurry. She had always known that Jacob could be immortal if he wanted to, and that he would never have to die – just like her. However, it felt good and reassuring to hear him say it again. It was comforting.

Leaning against the wall down the hallway, she tried to calm herself. Hearing Jacob talking about what it mean to be with her…how perfect she was for him…it stirred something deep inside her that she had been too afraid to think about for the past few days.

Her need for him had grown into something undeniable.

Her chest rose and fell with her steady breaths as she tried to calm herself. Biting her lip, she swallowed hard as she realized that her feelings for Jacob had changed so rapidly in the past few months that it had been overwhelming at first – and yet now were something she was ready to deal with. At that moment, she made a pact with herself that once Damon had been dealt with, she was going to make her wishes known, and claim Jacob as her own. It was time.

Running her hands through her wet hair, she tried to act nonchalant as she walked into the Great Room where she was relieved to see that Stefan had finally left. He was nowhere in sight, and she instantly relaxed. She wasn't sure she could handle looking at him. Glancing out the windows onto the back lawn, she felt her stomach tighten. _When would Damon return?_ Common sense told her that their battle with him had yet to begin. Nothing about Damon nor his personality exactly screamed 'forgiving'.

Her mind wandered back to Stefan. Even though she was happy about her decision to be with Jacob, she had still hurt Stefan. Would she ever get over it? And, more importantly, would he ever forgive her?

Suddenly, a thrumming noise echoed in her sensitive ears. Turning her head, she smiled when she saw Nahuel's hybrid sister, Isadora, standing in the entrance to the Great Room.

"Hello," she said with a warm smile. Isadora awkwardly held up her hand, giving her an unsure grin.

"Hello," she mimicked. Renesmee felt herself grinning again as she walked over to the wild looking girl. Isadora's curls were much more maintained today; Alice had helped her style her hair with products to calm her rambunctious corkscrew curls. They had also found normal clothes for the two of them instead of the dirty ones they had been wearing to travel to Denali.

Renesmee looked at Isadora's strange, pale yet bronzed looking skin. It was so different from her own that she couldn't help but stare a little.

"You are upset?" Isadora asked tentatively. Renesmee's smile faded.

"Yes, I am."

"Why so sad?" she asked. Renesmee sat down on the leather couch, and Isadora followed. She noticed that the wild looking girl sat much closer to her than she was used to, her large brown eyes unblinking.

"I hurt my friend," she said sadly. "Stefan?"

Isadora nodded. "Yes. Young vampire. He is not your mate?"

Renesmee shook her head. "No, he isn't," she replied sadly. "Why?"

Isadora understood her question, and her brown eyes fell to the floor. "I just asking," she chirped. Renesmee gave her a knowing smile.

"He is a good man," she said simply, hoping that Isadora understood.

"But you not want him?" Isadora asked. Renesmee smiled to herself, realizing that Isadora was testing the waters with her when it came to Stefan. Did she harbor secret feelings for him?

"I hurt him."

She watched as her simple words registered with the girl sitting beside her. She had a feeling that Isadora understood much more of the situation than her limited knowledge of English could communicate.

"My…mate is Jacob," she explained tentatively. She stuttered out the word 'mate' for the first time, not sure if she was ready to label him that; however, that was one word she was sure Isadora would surely understand.

Isadora nodded, her eyes dancing with recognition.

"Your mate is the wolf man?"

Renesmee sucked in a breath, hoping that no one in her family was within hearing distance. This was surely a conversation that they would all find rather amusing, much to her demise.

"Nahuel tell me about wolves. My sister…she love the wolf."

Her eyes rose up to meet Isadora's brown ones, and a realization hit her. Renesmee smiled, nodding. "Yes, she does. How I love my wolf," she admitted softly. The words resounded in her head as she sat on the couch with Isadora.

She loved him. She _loved Jacob_ – she was _in love_ with him. No amount of sorrow she felt for hurting Stefan would ever change how she felt about Jacob.

"If you love the wolf, then why are you sad?" Isadora said slowly, making an obvious effort to speak English the best she could.

"I don't think the wolf will…I'm scared that…." She sighed in frustration, searching for the correct words. How could she explain to this girl that barely spoke English her still unconfirmed fears about her fertility? When, a few days ago, she barely cared? It was all making her head spin. She tentatively raised her hand and held it to Isadora's cheek.

"It's okay. It's my special gift," Renesmee said gently, giving her a soft smile. Isadora nodded, and Renesmee opened her connection. She tried to use emotions and pictures in her head to explain, rather than a lot of words. In her mind, she showed her pictures of pregnant women that she had seen, mixed with the images of the stony, unchanging bodies of her family. The young vampire's eyes lit up in delight at the surprise of Renesmee's gift. She watched as Isadora's eyes glazed slightly as she watched what Renesmee was showing her. When she was finished, she pulled her hand away and placed it in her lap.

Isadora nodded in an understanding way, seeming to understand. "Nahuel talk to me. He tell me what that vampire say. He is wrong, Nessie," she said, her tone soft but firm.

Renesmee looked at the girl skeptically, unsure of what to think. "How do you know?"

Isadora pursed her lips, obviously having her own troubles communicating. Renesmee jumped when Isadora reached her hand out and placed it over her heart, feeling the thrumming.

"Alive," she said firmly, nodding at her. She moved her hand and placed it on Renesmee's stomach. "Warm," she added with another affirmative nod.

Renesmee leaned back on the couch as Isadora puller her hand back. She did have a good point – she had a beating heart, a changing body, and appeared to be able to accommodate change for a pregnancy. But was she right? And did that even matter to her? Or to Jacob?

She wasn't sure.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee sighed in relief as she left the room her parents were sharing. She had caught Bella while she was reading and had curled up beside her, knowing that that would get her on her mother's good side.

"_Mom, things are different now. I can't have dad in my head when I'm going through all of this," she had said. _

_Bella had looked hesitant at first, but had eventually complied. Renesmee knew that her mother was a very private person, and when she had pulled the 'Charlie' card she knew that her mother would agree. _

"_You wouldn't have wanted grandpa Charlie in your head while you were my age, would you, Mom?_

Bella had eventually caved and agreed to shield her daughter while she and Jacob were in the room with Edward, but that was all. She knew that her mother was still upset that she had left in the first place, and knew that she would have to find a way to make it up to her eventually.

_One thing at a time,_ she reminded herself.

As she walked down the steps and toward the kitchen, a blazing hot hand snaked out and grabbed her around the wrist, firmly but gently yanking her sideways. She began to yelp in surprise, but his other hand clapped over her mouth.

Jacob pulled her into the small hallway closet used for cleaning supplies and coats before she knew what was happening. Her brown eyes widened in the dim light of the tiny closet as he grinned at her, lowering his hand from her mouth.

"But, my dad-"

"-he already left to go hunt for Damon. I'm supposed to be out there in a little while, so we don't have much time," he whispered urgently.

"Much time for what?" she asked in a whisper, matching his voice. He smirked briefly, his dark eyes glittering with mischief before he ducked down to her level and pressed his lips against hers.

She sighed in surprise against his lips, taking a moment to register what was happening. His warm, muscular arms encircled her torso, pulling her body up against his with a grunt. Her hands went to his chest, which was burning hot even through his t-shirt.

"I've wanted to do this for days," he murmured between kisses. She smiled against his mouth and tried to keep her head from spinning as his mouth lightly nipped at her bottom lip.

"You've wanted to what?" she asked coyly, sliding her hands up to rest on his shoulders. He laughed, pulling away from her mouth to rest his forehead on hers.

"I've wanted to be alone with you for so long that it hurts, Ness. I just…I…oh, screw it," he panted lightly, his mouth colliding with hers again.

He kissed her with such fervor and passion that it almost knocked her over. The feeling of his kisses against her lips was almost overwhelming at first, but she quickly figured out what she was doing. She could feel his need and urgency in the way his mouth crashed against hers. It was firm but soft, and that mixed with the heat radiating off of his large body gave her chills of excitement.

"God Ness…you…you feel so…"

She broke away from his mouth long enough to jump on top of the storage unit that was jammed against the wall of the closet. It gave her some height, which she used to pull Jacob even closer to her. He groaned as she wrapped her legs around his torso, locking his body against hers. His lower half jerked suddenly when her feminine core came in contact with his groin, making it obvious how much he wanted her.

His cheeks burned with embarrassment until she pulled herself closer and grinded herself against his hardened manhood. She wore only thin yoga pants instead of jeans that day, and the thin material was not left unappreciated by Jacob.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he muttered, dipping his head down to lay a trail of light kisses on her neck. She leaned backwards, her head colliding with the cabinet behind her. It splintered, the wood groaning in protest.

"You don't' seem to mind much," she heard herself say. Her teeth found her bottom lip and bit down as he traded his kisses for sucking on the sensitive skin just below her ear.

"You can do anything you want to me," he groaned, letting his teeth scrape her earlobe. An excited jolt rushed through her body as her skin began to sizzle with the pleasant heat of Jacob's body. His hands ran up and down her sides and soon began to play with the hem of her shirt.

He exhaled against her neck, making goose bumps break out all over her neck and arms. It was delightful.

She knew it was wrong to be fooling around with Jacob in a broom closet in a house that wasn't hers, but nothing had ever felt so right in her life. The feeling of his skin against hers, his mouth on her neck, his kisses against her lips, his hardened manhood against her center…just thinking about it made another lust-ridden jolt of excitement travel through her body.

Jacob's tongue slowly moved out and moved across her lower lip. When she reached her own tongue out to shyly touch his, she was delighted with the taste of him; he was warm and exotic, yet slightly sweet and very appealing. She wanted more. Her hands grasped the sides of his face as she moved her tongue to trace his teeth and lips. She felt him open his mouth wider, as if he was inviting her to do more to him.

_I shouldn't feel guilty…I'm just doing what feels natural…with my mate,_ she thought wickedly, grinning against his mouth. The word 'mate' still made her feel unnaturally adult and somewhat sinful, but that only fueled them both further.

As he kissed her, she placed her hands on his chest and opened their connection.

_I want you. _

The message she sent him was bold and unlike anything she had ever done, but like most things she had done so far…it felt right.

Jacob grunted in wanton lust and thrust himself against her thin pants, making her sigh in enjoyment. His hands continued to play with the hem on her tshirt. As he kissed her, her began to peel she shirt up and off.

Suddenly, she pushed his hands back as gently as she could and broke their kiss.

"Jake, what if we get caught-"

The words weren't out of her mouth when she heard light footsteps approaching.

The door to the closet swung open, and there stood a very pissed looking Rosalie.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rosalie growled. She grabbed Renesmee's hand, yanking her niece out of the closet.

"Rosalie!" Renesmee yelped, glaring at her aunt. Rosalie gaped at her.

"You mean you wanted this stupid dog to be drooling all over you?"

Renesmee huffed, but tried her best to keep her calm. _Act like an adult,_ her mind screamed. Jacob turned to square himself with Rosalie, crossing his arms over his wide chest. He waited with a scowl to see what Renesmee would do.

"Ulgh, you smell like a wet dog!"

"Hey," Jacob boomed, crossing his arms. He stepped out of the closet, glowering at Rosalie.

"Rose, Jake…both of you, stop it!"

"Renesmee, I cannot sit back and let you-"

"Rosalie, that's none of your business. I can't believe you would barge in on us like that!"

"I'm trying to stop you from making a huge mistake!" Rosalie shot back at her. Renesmee's eyes narrowed for a second, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Don't you remember what it was like when you first met Emmett? I've heard stories, Aunt Rose."

Renesmee had heard bits and pieces over the years about her aunt and uncle's sex life, as much as she would like to forget. However, she had the memory of steel and couldn't forget all the teasing she had heard about them 'knocking down houses' and 'humping in cars until they're buried in the pavement'.

Rosalie's pale face seemed to grow even a little paler as she stared at her, her golden eyes wide.

"Ness…"

"I just know that you and Emmett-"

"Enough!" Rosalie snapped, dropping her wrist. "Just….just….ladies don't duck into closets!" she hissed. Renesmee watched as her aunt disappeared in a flash, leaving the two of them in the hallway.

She glanced at the closet again, a blush rising up in her cheeks. What would have happened if Rosalie wouldn't have caught them? Her face grew even redder just at the thought. Being with Jacob like that made her want to do things…things that she wasn't sure she was ready for. Not when the hurt of breaking Stefan's heart was so fresh.

"Jake, I….I'm sorry about Rose..."

"It's no big deal, Ness...I…I got a little carried away there. I'm uh…sorry about that," he awkwardly admitted. She pressed her lips together, nodding. The sexual tension between them seemed to sizzle still as they stood so close. His spicy, exotic sent swirled in her nostrils, and it enticed her more than ever. The silence seemed daunting.

"You're right and…I'm not sure that…it's right to do that…here. Just yet." She looked around again, making sure they were still somewhat alone.

Jacob's heart sank as he realized that she didn't want Stefan to see the two of them acting all lovey dovey just yet. He felt a stabbing pain in his chest as he also realized his imprint still had feelings for the leech that he despised.

"It's um…it's alright. Hey…" he said softly, putting two fingers under her chin, lifting it up. "It's alright Nessie. It's no big deal."

Her brown eyes moved up to meet his, full of remorse. "You're sure?" she asked tentatively, as if she was afraid of his answer. He nodded, his expression soft.

Renesmee was silent for a moment, her heart beating fast all of a sudden.

"I'm hurting you again, aren't I?" she asked softly. Jacob shook his head, pulling her up against his chest.

_Lie,_ his inner voice told him. She was breaking his heart by pushing him away to save face in front of the stupid bloodsucker. But he was hers and anything she wanted was what he wanted. If she was happy, he was happy. Or at least, he would try to be.

"No, you're not. I understand, Ness. I…or at least…I'm trying to."

Inside, the turmoil surged as he tried to rein in his jealousy for Stefan. To realize that she still at least cared for him drove him insane with a childish envy that he could barely fathom.

He calmed when he felt her inhale a big breath of his scent, pressing her cheek against his chest. As she stood there holding her, he realized that he had already waited years for her to be his, and he could stand to wait a few more days for everything to be worked out. Suddenly, he wanted to return to sleepy little La Push more than anything to live a simple life, but this time with Renesmee. If she wanted to wait to be with him until she was away from Stefan, then he would simply have to live with that. If it meant that she would be his, he would do it.

Before he left, they paused at the doors in the Great Room that opened up to the backyard. He had given her a hug and almost a kiss, but Stefan and Carmen were walking through the room. Renesmee had turned her head at the last second when his lips were about to brush with hers, giving him an almost friend-like hug. It wasn't like anything they had been doing a few minutes ago, Jacob had thought bitterly. He had glanced over his shoulder, scowling at Stefan's back as he and Carmen exited the doors.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. He had said nothing. His only reaction was to swallow his hurt and pull her close one last time to press a kiss to the top of her head.

He left the house, jogging across the snowy yard to join Edward and Bella on their patrol for Damon. Phasing in the bushes, he easily picked up their scent and bounded off in their direction. They were all split up today, searching for traces of Damon. They knew he was bound to return to get what he wanted, which was Renesmee.

_Any day now…_ Jacob thought to himself. He had been paired with Renesmee's parents for the day to hunt. They had broken off into groups of three to search: Tanya, Eleazar, and Quil; Garrett, Kate, and Embry; Alice, Jasper, and Brady; Stefan, Carmen, and Seth; and finally, Edward, Bella, and Jacob. Emmett, Rosalie, and Collin had stayed behind to guard the house, where Nahuel stayed with his sisters and Renesmee. Collin wasn't thrilled with the idea of imprinting on a hybrid vampire just yet. All the same, he still wasn't quite ready to leave her behind.

Jacob smirked at the very thought. Collin had been horrified originally, but was slowly coming around to the idea. He was still scared shitless of Estrella, but he was so drawn to her that he could barely control himself around her. He had waited so long to imprint, and now that he had found her, he wasn't sure what to do.

As he ran to catch up with Edward and Bella, he fought to keep his thoughts positive. Renesmee had chosen him, so why was he so upset? Fuming silently, he realized he knew exactly why. He had waited all this time and fought tooth and nail for her, and she was still wrapped up with not hurting Stefan's feelings. He instantly felt ashamed of himself or being upset about that because of course she would be.

Sure, Renesmee had always been a tad immature – she had been a teenager not long ago after all- yet she had always been kind. She genuinely disliked hurting people, and he realized that her recent behavior had been her acting out. That was part of the reason he had accepted her back so willingly; he knew it was only a phase.

"I can hear you whining to yourself ten miles away," Edward muttered, running up beside him. Jacob's fur stood on end, and he laughed inside his head.

_Then don't listen, Eddie,_ he sneered.

"I despise that name, and you know it," Edward sneered back.

_Then stay outta my head_, Jacob snapped back.

"Once again, Jacob, it is impossible to ignore something when someone is yelling it right at you," Edward replied.

Jacob just growled.

Bella darted up on his other side, reaching out to tap him. "Stop, both of you," she growled. Jacob slid to a halt, alarmed that Bella looked rather…_vamipire-ish_.

Edward smirked, stopping in his tracks. "She tends to do that sometimes," he replied, listening to Jacob's errant thought.

_I'm not in the mood to joke, Edward,_ Jacob said sternly in his mind. Edward shook his head and gave him an eye roll, and Jacob just twitched his tail. Bella's golden eyes widened in frustration. She_ hated_ their silent conversations.

"Stop this!" she shrieked. Both Edward and Jacob winced at the same time. They both watched as Bella seemed to get a hold of herself and calm down. Jacob felt bad for his friend sometimes; her newborn emotions sometimes got the better of her, despite being a vampire for over seven years.

"You! Phase! I'm sick of this," Bella demanded. Edward pressed his lips into a thin line, but said nothing.

_That would be a first,_ Jacob thought haughtily.

Jacob phased back into human form, pulling on his shorts as quickly as he could muster. It was still awkward to phase back into his naked human form in front of Bella, despite their purely platonic relationship. Jacob scowled to himself as he watched Edward's face twist up at his thought.

"What is it now?" Bella demanded. Jacob gave her an amused smirk, buttoning his pants. 'Vampire Bella' was still very much like herself, yet sometimes her still slightly new vampire attitude got the better of her and she tended to be snappy.

"Nothing," Jacob said. "Edward was just picking on me, as usual."

"Whine a bit more, mongrel," Edward tempted him.

Bella growled, making them both snap their heads back to look at her. Jacob watched her strange yellow eyes flick back and forth between them.

"Will you two please act your ages?" She asked. Her gaze moved to her husband. "You especially. You know not to antagonize him when he's like this! And you!" Bella said, pointing a white finger at him, "You tell me what's wrong, now."

Edward was silent as he scanned Jacob's mind. Jacob realized what he was up to and instantly retreated back to some old tricks he had learned over the years around Edward to block his gift.

"I don't want to talk about it," Jacob huffed, crossing his brawny arms in front of his chest. Truthfully, being rejected by Renesmee stung a thousand times worse than any of the times Bella had shot him down so many years ago. In fact, he was sure that right at that moment he felt worse than he did when Bella had chosen Edward. He felt twice as worse now than when Bella had dumped him; it wasn't even comparable.

Edward frowned, looking back at Bella. "Something about a closet." His eyes widened, and he quickly closed the distance between himself and Jacob. "If you had my daughter in a closet, Jacob, so help you-"

"She's full grown, you knew this would happen!"

"STOP!" Bella roared, her yellow eyes wide. Both men stopped abruptly, scowling at each other.

"Edward, we have to remember that our daughter is an adult now, and we need to remember that he…only wants what's best for her. Jacob…try your best to…censor yourself."

"I would if he wouldn't pry all the time."

"That's not the point. Besides…things are better with you and Renesmee now. You should be happy. Why do you look so…."

"Pouty?" Edward finished for her. Bella shot him a dark look and glided over to Jacob. She wound her arm around his and pulled him into a walk beside her. Edward followed shortly behind them as they walked through the forest.

"I don't know, I'm just…I feel like she's worried about this damn Stefan guy. She won't even act like we're together in front of him."

"Isn't that just like Renesmee though? She's always been worried about what people thought of her."

"I know, I just thought all this would be over now that…that it's all out in the open. The imprinting thing…I mean, after all these years I just thought that now that she knows we could just be happy."

"It's never that easy," Edward muttered behind them.

Jacob growled. "Hey, I made my peace with you once your daughter was born!" he shot back. Edward raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

"Jacob, you have to give this some time. She's still getting used to the idea, as I'm sure you are. She won't want to hurt Stefan, but...the hard part is over, isn't it? She chose you. Please don't make her throw that decision in Stefan's face. You might not like him, but he doesn't deserve that."

Jacob smiley wryly, looking down at his friend. "Are you giving me life-lessons, Bella?"

Bella nodded, smacking him playfully where she held his arm. "No, I'm just trying to help you two along. It's the least I can do after making you wait seven years."

Jacob grinned, kicking at the snow as he walked. "I know you guys were just….doing what you thought was best," he finally choked out.

_Even though it was stupid to make me wait to tell her…she was always such a smart kid, she could have-_

"Jacob," Edward spoke up, his tone riddled with annoyance.

"Sorry."

Jacob's mind flashed back to the instant he had agreed with Jacob and Bella to not tell Renesmee that he had imprinted on her, or what it even meant. The fact that he had been able to keep the secret for seven years still amazed him; he had been so close to telling her so many times. He had wanted to tell her more than anything before he had left for college, but his agreement had stifled him.

When he had messed around with Carly back at school, he had almost told Renesmee the next day on the phone. When he thought about what had happened with Carly he felt like an idiot. It had been nothing short of painful to do those things with anyone but his imprint and he had been a fool for trying. Honestly, he had been in so much pain from being away from her that he had barely noticed the added pain of cheating on her on top of that. He had been stupid to do that, and even more stupid to think that it wouldn't have hurt him. Renesmee was meant for him, and vice versa. He should have realized the substitutes wouldn't work.

_Was that how Bella thought of him so many years ago when he was still trying to seduce her to pick him? Had he just been a substitute for her when she knew that she was really mean to be with Edward? _

"My point is, the good ones never have it easy," Bella continued. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, Seth tried to compare my situation with a Disney movie earlier. I about punched him."

"Do I want to know?"

"He was just saying the same thing you are. And…as annoying as that is…" he said slowly, stopping, "I'm willing to bet that you know enough to be right."

Bella smiled, biting her lip as she nodded. "See what I mean? Come on Jake. Give her some time. It's meant to be with you two, you know?"

Jacob thought back to how Renesmee had run up to Stefan's side to comfort him several days before. The way her body molded against his…he tried not to think about it. He needed to focus hard, and focus now.

Because he had a vampire to kill.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee's eyes looked up as she met Stefan's over the table. They were seated in the rarely used dining room of the Denali home, and she was giving Isadora and Estrella English lessons. Stefan had wandered in looking rather lost, and her heart went out for him. The search parties had all retuned empty handed days ago, and he had looked utterly forlorn for almost a week now. She had invited him to help her teach the two hybrid women better English, and in Estrella's case, any English.

"Can I…has…have…the…erm…book?" Estrella stuttered out from the pages in front of her. She had to use her limited vocabulary to fill in the blanks in her workbook, and was doing rather well. Alice had ordered English books for the two of them and they had arrived earlier that day, and much to Renesmee's delight, they were both fast learners. She knew that all hybrids were different in their strengths and characteristics, and was relieved to know that both women were quickly grasping the language.

She was working with Estrella, and Stefan was making great progress with Isadora. Renesmee carefully let her eyes return to Stefan's face, which was now trying to avoid Isadora's piercing gaze as she sat beside him. She was positive that his cheeks would have been pink if he was a human; he looked rather embarrassed that she was staring.

"That's good," he murmured, leaning over the workbook. Isadora smiled, obviously happy to have earned his praise

They continued to work for several more hours in compatible company, the four of them working easily toward their goal of helping the two new hybrids learn how to communicate with them.

They were almost finished for the day when Jacob and Collin returned from their patrol shift; everyone else had given up searching for Damon, but Jacob had continued to make his pack do their routine rounds around the Denali property.

"Almost done," Renesmee said carefully to Jacob. He didn't miss the way her eyes shifted to look at Stefan as she spoke, as if she was afraid to acknowledge him in Stefan's presence.

"Sure, sure," he sighed, jamming his hands in his pockets. She noticed the disappointed look in his eyes. He motioned toward the kitchen to Collin, who stood in the doorway practically gaping at Estrella.

Renesmee glanced sideways at the beautiful girl beside her. She reminded her of a gazelle or a deer - the young girl had the longest legs she had ever seen, and paired with her almost bronzed skin and long, shimmering hair she was a vision of striking beauty.

Noticing she was being watched by the boy who intrigued her so, Estrella beamed at Collin, flashing her straight, white teeth. Collin's eyes widened, and he quickly shook himself from his trance to shuffle away. Renesmee watched as Estrella's hopeful face fell while her eyes trailed after Collin's body as he followed after Jacob into the kitchen.

Nahuel and his sisters had been there for almost a week now, and this had been the game all week. As an imprint herself, Renesmee was only starting to understand her own pull to Jacob; she knew that he was bound to her by special Quileute magic. However, she understood that her new friend was drawn to Collin as well. Usually, he would walk into a room, stare at her until she realized it, then run away, leaving Estrella looking heartbroken. Renesmee knew that the confused girl didn't possibly understand why Collin disliked her. She bit her lip as she closed the English book. Collin was letting his own fear stand in between him and his happiness.

She watched as Stefan closed the book in front of him, giving Isadora a tight smile. Was she being blind to her own relationship with Jacob? Was she letting her fear of not wanting to hurt Stefan come in between them?

"Finished?" Estrella questioned, smiling at her.

Renesmee nodded, stacking up their books.

"You'll be speaking English in no time!" Renesmee promised. The girl glanced in the direction of the kitchen and smiled, her bright blue-green eyes lighting up. It was no secret that she wanted to learn English so that she could talk to Collin; that had been evident by the end of their first lesson earlier in the week.

Renesmee knew that she needed to make sure things were right with Jacob. He hadn't been the same since the closet incident. Giving Estrella a brief hug, she set out to find him. They had things to discuss.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**I have decided to post Collin's story! **The feedback I got for my question last chapter was great, so thank you everyone for that. Collin and Estrella have a great little background and fic, so I decided to type it up and that will be posted before Untouchable ends. Too much was going on for those two to weave their story into Untouchable, so I made it a separate fic. It is called '**Bottled Up Lightning',** and the banner for it is in my photobucket. Also, if you don't have me on Author Alert, I do have three new stories that might interest you.

**Love Runs Wild:** this a companion piece of Untouchable. It's just Kate and Garrett's story, and it's set during the story – it doesn't mention much about Renesmee and Jake, but it was written in the same time Frame.

**Love This Pain:** Seth! I wanted to give Seth some love. This is a fic about and older 27 year old Seth who finally meets his imprint and she ends up being nothing like he imagined.

**Crave:** Also a companion piece for Untouchable. It is set awhile before Untouchable, but is basically about the first time Renesmee realizes she is falling for Jacob. In a non 'friend' way. ; )

**Fairytale:** This is an Alice/Jasper Alternate Universe/All Human fic. It's set in medieveal times, and I haven't ever written anything like it. It's about forbidden love and taking chances ; )

So be sure to read and review those if you're bored this week waiting for the next Untouchable update. I'm hard at work on it, so send me some review love for some creative inspiration. Yes?

******ALSO******

**I'm up for 4 awards for The Single Shot Awards. Please Vote?**

**http:/thesingleshotawards(DOT)blogspot(DOT)com/p/voting(DOT)html**


	39. Realizations

There's no mercy in a live wire  
No rest at all in freedom  
Of the choices we are given it's no choice at all  
The proof is in the fire  
You touch before it moves away  
But you must always know how long to stay and when to go

It took awhile to understand

The beauty of just letting go

_Let Him Fly – Patty Griffin_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob wasn't hard for her to find. Renesmee followed the trail that his masculine, earthy scent had left on his way to the kitchen.

"Hey," she said softly, walking up to him. Jacob chewed on his sandwich, looking up when he saw her. He didn't have a chance to swallow before she walked up and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her cheek up to his bare chest. He shot Collin a surprised look over her head, and the other boy averted his eyes from his Alpha and his imprint.

Renesmee lifted her hand and pressed it to his cheek. _Can we be alone?_ She asked.

Jacob shot her a skeptical look as he chewed, and she made an annoyed face. _ Not like that, _she quickly sent back with her palm.

Jacob nodded. "We'll be back," he said to Collin, who was still eating. The boy nodded, stiffening when Estrella walked into the kitchen with her sister and Nahuel.

"You're fine. Stay in here," Jacob said, his voice soft but stern. Renesmee giggled as the whites of Collin's eyes showed. She led him down the hall to the library, which was thankfully empty.

"This can't be good news," Jacob said. Renesmee rolled her eyes, sitting down on the couch. He finished the last of his food and sat down beside her, surprised when she scooted closer.

"Its fine," she insisted, weaving her hand in with his. Jacob shifted a bit, dreading what was to come.

"Why do you look so nervous?"

Jacob sighed, looking over at her. "You always used to give me that face when you were little. That was always the face I got when you wanted me to do something for you that would ultimately get me in trouble."

Renesmee couldn't' resist laughing. "Jake, that's not it at all. But that's really sweet of you. I used to get you in trouble a lot, didn't I?"

A low growl resonated in his chest for an answer to her question.

"I…I wanted to talk to you to make sure you weren't mad at me."

Jacob looked straight ahead, debating what to say. "Ness," he started, looking over at her. "Do you not get how this works? This imprint? I…I can't stay mad at you."

"That's not fair," she replied.

He shook his head. "No, it's not…but...that's not the point. I don't think you realize that I can barely say no to you, much less be angry with you."

"Jake…I know that you're upset. I deserve to have you be mad at me. It's not fair to you that you can't really be upset with me."

"I'm not upset," he insisted quietly. He looked at her sideways and knew from the expression on her face that she wasn't buying it.

"Okay…I was a little hurt that you don't want me to touch you."

Renesmee felt her cheeks flush. She leaned against him on the couch, her mind silently screaming at her for making Jacob think that she didn't want him to touch her. Swallowing nervously, she moved to straddle his lap so that she was sitting on top of him on the couch. Jacob's eyes widened, and now it was his turn to make the whites of his eyes show. He gulped in surprise, his entire body stiffening.

"Jake," she said, taking his cheeks in her hands. "That's not it."

Opening her connection, she showed him memories of herself as she pined for him and ached for him to touch her. All the nights she had spent alone in her room, wishing that he was there with her. She showed him that she did still feel for Stefan, but that it wasn't at all the way she felt about him. Stefan was a friend now. Jacob was much, much more. His eyes glazed over slightly as they always did when she showed him pictures, and she smiled to herself as she tried once again to give him a clear idea of what was going on.

"Ness," he whispered when she finished. His arms were around her middle in a brief second, squeezing her to him. She leaned forward into his pull, burying her face in his neck to squeeze him back.

"Do you see?" She asked against his hot skin. She felt him nod, his brawny arms still clutching her to him. The desire for him to finally see her as the adult she wanted to be was suddenly overwhelming.

"Um…that helped," he gulped against her hair. He was quickly becoming overwhelmed by having her sitting on his lap, her body pressed up against his. He could only hope that Edward or Rosalie wasn't nearby.

"Good, Jacob," She whispered. "Don't feel like I don't want you to touch me. That's not the case…ever."

"It is?" he practically squeaked, still tightly embracing her. His heart began to race a little to match her already thrumming heartbeat. Jacob could feel his palms start to sweat. He really didn't want to get caught with her like this again…

"Does it feel that way?" She said softly, brushing her lips against his ear. Her heart raced with nervous excitement for being this close to him, but she tried her best to not let her nervousness show.

Her hot breath against his ear and neck eventually took its toll on him and his body began to react to hers.

"Uh…" he began nervously. "Ness, maybe you'd better…"

"Does it _feel _like I want to get up?" she panted in his ear, peppering his neck with soft kisses. He could feel goose bumps rising up on his skin where her lips left a trail to his ear.

"N-No…but…"

"No, it's okay Jacob," she assured him, shifting a bit on his lap. "It's okay for us to be like this. I just don't want to throw it in Stefan's face."

Jacob bit his lip as she shifted her weight on him, his body taking note that her center was now strategically placed above the spot where he most wanted her attention. However, he knew they weren't ready for that just yet. Biting his lip nervously, his hands went to rest on her hips to gently adjust her. But it was too late. Her weight on him there had made him begin to harden, and she felt it right away.

"Um, maybe we'd better move…" Jacob muttered, trying to stand. Renesmee bit her lip, pressing down with her full force and kept them firmly on the sofa.

"No, Jake, it's okay. I want you to know that I made the right choice. I'm standing by that. All I want is a little time. I don't want to make him more miserable than he already is."

Jacob was still half-focusing on the part of his body that was steadily hardening, but managed to nod. Mortified, he stared at the floor in front of him, silently begging to God that she would get up soon.

Renesmee knew he was only giving her half of his attention. "Jake," she said softly. She grasped his cheeks in her hands and opened her connection again.

_I made the right choice. _

His eyes moved up to meet hers, her warm brown irises showing him an intensity that he rarely saw in her. He didn't have time to protest this time as her lips melted into his.

Leaning his head back onto the sofa, his eyebrows show up in surprise as she kissed him – and rather forcefully at that. His hands gripped her hips as she altered between somewhat hard, forceful kisses and softer pecks. The way she would switch between the two was driving him insane as he fought to not lose control. Every wolf instinct in him was begging him to flip her over onto her back and take his mate right there.

_No!_ His mind screamed. _You're in a house full of vampire. This is probably too much as it is…_

He groaned as she rocked her pelvis against his, a surprised sigh escaping her lips as she moved to kiss his neck. He shifted lower on the couch so that she wasn't making direct contact with his hardened length.

"Ness…"

"Hmm?"

"Nessie...oh god…"

"Hmm?"

"_Renesmee_," he hissed as her felt her teeth scrape earlobe. He felt his manhood twitch as his body tried to overrule his mind.

She sat up, her cheeks flushed and her hair slightly messy as she grinned at him.

"Yes?"

He sighed, leaning his head back on the cough. He looked at her with lust ridden, hooded eyes as she bit her lip and grinned suggestively at him.

"You really are gonna kill me."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Days passed, and still there was no sign of Damon. When Stefan finally calmed down after his brother's appearance on the back lawn, he admitted that it was not like Damon to give up easily. If he was one thing, he was stubborn. Alice kept watch for a slip in his shield, but so far nothing had come to her. The family waited to see what would happen. The search parties had halted, but Jacob still insisted that his pack run patrols.

Renesmee sat in the dining room as usual with Estrella, Isadora, and Stefan. She couldn't be sure, but she felt like she was witnessing something blooming between Stefan and Isadora. Stefan, ever the gentleman, tried to ignore Isadora's obvious stares and flirtatious ways; even as a hybrid vampire from the deep south American jungle, Isadora still knew how to charm someone. She would bat her eyes and toss her curls over her shoulder, making sure the ends just barely brushed his arm.

She was happy for them. Honestly, the guilt she felt for turning him down was eased a little more every time she saw them exchange an awkward smile. It gave her hope that Stefan would eventually be okay.

Jacob and Collin returned home from their patrol shift every day and would come into the room where English lessons were taking place. Every day, the same awkward exchange would take place between Collin and Estrella. However, it wasn't awkward for her. Sometimes Renesmee wondered if it was possible for Estrella to have imprinted on Collin instead of the other way around. The way her green, ocean colored eyes followed the dark skinned werewolf around the room was like a magnet.

Renesmee would watch as he visibly battled with himself. She could tell that Collin was both interested and drawn to her, yet the fear behind his gaze never escaped her. Renesmee remembered all too well the sight of Collin after he had been attacked by a rogue vampire so many years ago. Jacob had taken her to visit him while he was laid up in bed, still healing. Jacob had let a three year old Renesmee read to him for an hour each day while he healed. She knew that Collin had good reason to fear new vampires as much as he did; he barely tolerated the Denali clan, and he kept his distance from the Cullens when he could. Each day, Estrella's eyes would fall as she realized that that day would not be the day that Collin was going to speak to her.

"You have to get him to talk to her. It breaks her heart when he blows her off like that."

"How do you know?" Jacob asked her rather skeptically.

It was later that night, and she was sitting with him on the third floor window seat. Renesmee traced her finger along the frost pane of glass, marveling at the tiny particles as they formed patterns. Her mind briefly thought of all the nights she had spent there, alone, reading book after book to help take her mind off of Jacob. And now here they both were, wound together like they were meant to be.

She sighed, stopping her movement on the glass. "How do I know that the girl is pining after a werewolf?" She rolled her eyes. "I might know a thing or two about that."

Jacob gave her a slightly dejected look, and then muttered '_sorry'_ under his breath.

"Just promise me you'll try to talk some sense into him again? I know he wants to talk to her. He almost did today."

"He did?" Jacob asked. Renesmee watched as he frowned, undoubtedly playing back the scene from the dining room from earlier that day.

Renesmee nodded. "Trust me, he did. I don't understand…why he won't just…if he imprinted…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "I don't get it. If he imprinted on her, then how can he stay away from her?"

"It isn't easy," Jacob said softly, rubbing her pajama clad knee with his thumb.

She watched his face. For the first time since she had known him, Jacob looked like he had aged. He looked tired.

She placed her palm on his hand, showing him how he looked to her. There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was shaggy, and worry wrinkles were etched around his eyes.

"I'm not running at full speed these days," he admitted. "I'm running everyone ragged with hunting for that damn lee-vampire," he corrected. "The guys are getting antsy, and I should be paying better attention. I'm a shitty Alpha. "

Renesmee sighed, placing her palm on top of his hand. _No, you're not, _she said with her gift. He gave her a weak smile, rubbing her knee. They were sitting in the tiny window seat, three stories up, surrounded by pillows and blankets. Jake sat across from her, her feet in his lap, and she leaned against his feet with her elbow. After all of their time apart, it just felt nice to be together and not feel guilty about it, like they were doing something wrong.

Renesmee sighed and leaned her head back against the woodwork. She knew that Jacob wouldn't rest until Damon had been dealt with, so there was no use in arguing with him. He was far too pigheaded for that.

"Quil's getting antsy. He wants to go home to Claire soon. I don't blame them. Am I wrong to make them stay here with me?"

"They trust you. If you say you need them, they'll stay with you," she pointed out. "That's what they want to do, Jake."

"It still isn't right. I just want to get this over with. I want to fight him, kill him, and burn the pieces!" he growled, clenching his fists. He looked over at her. "How did you ever think he could be good?"

Renesmee scowled back at him. "Jacob, everyone has good in them. They might be hard on the surface, the exterior…but…I believe that all people...vampires, werewolves, and…everyone in-between…I think that somewhere, deep down, there's good in them."

Jacob gave her an annoyed glance, but tried to not look too judgmental. His mind traveled back to seeing the Volturi standing in the meadow before them so many years ago_. How could she think that someone like that had good in them?_ He sighed, shaking his head as he wove his fingers in with hers.

"Oh, Nessie," he sighed, "That's why you're so easy to love. You just see the good in everything," he said. When he realized what he said, he immediately tensed, his dark eyes flicking up to meet hers. She gulped, swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

_Love._

It was a strange topic between them. As a child, he had always told her he loved her more than anything, and that they were best friends. But things were different now, and those were words that she hadn't heard him utter in months. Especially not since things had changed between them.

Jacob spitting the word out casually just then made them both stiffen. Its absence in their relationship daunted them. Neither was sure how to breathe the topic, as this was the second time that the word had awkwardly been dropped. It seemed to hang in the air between them like a blinking reminder that their relationship still wasn't completely fixed.

Jacob opened his mouth to try to say something, but movement down below made him look twice. "Hey, looks like you don't have to feel too bad about lover boy anymore," he said sarcastically. Renesmee furrowed her eyebrows, sitting up to peer out the window where his gaze was directed.

Below, she saw Stefan move across the snow covered lawn, but he wasn't alone. Isadora ran at his side. Estrella loped behind, leaving a considerable distance between her and the other two.

"They must be going to hunt. What's your point?" she mused, leaning back down. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I've seen the way those two look at each other. You're old news, Ness," he teased, re-weaving his fingers in with hers. She felt her heartbeat accelerate as his warm skin touched hers, and she tried to ignore it.

"Good. He deserves to be happy," she said firmly. Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Not with me," she quickly added. "But I'm not quite out of the woods with Stefan yet," she added quietly.

Her attention moved back to the lawn below as she watched Collin in human form trot across the snowy ground, unfastening his shorts as he moved. Renesmee watched as he faded into the darkness, his skin exploding into fur just as he left her sight.

"Interesting," she hummed, looking up at Jacob. He smiled sheepishly, giving her feet a gentle shove.

"I never said we wanted to stay away from our imprints, or that it was easy. It's like magnets, or…a planet and a moon," he laughed. "God, that sounds awful."

"Cliché," Renesmee added, giving him a crooked grin. Jacob chuckled deeply, his chest rumbling with nervous laughter.

"I'll be your little moon, Jacob," she cooed jokingly, reaching across their legs to jab him in the side. He laughed with her for a moment, and then looked at her seriously. The humor had been drained from his face as his eyes were suddenly intense. She looked at him, eyebrows raised, waiting for him to speak.

"You're more like my sun."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next day while Jacob was out on patrol, Renesmee sat on one of the big couches with her mother, reading. Her eyes kept moving up to the large brass clock above the fireplace only to see that it had been several minutes since the last time she had checked.

Bella's eyes moved up to meet hers. Renesmee blushed, knowing she'd been caught.

"He'll be back," she said simply, tucking a silky strand of her chocolate brown hair behind her ears. Renesmee nodded, trying to turn her attention back to her book. It was no use.

"Mom, how do you tell someone that you love them?"

Bella smirked. "I love you," she said smoothly, her voice like satin. Renesmee sighed exasperatedly, letting her book fall into her lap.

"Mom," she pleaded. She tried not to sound whiny; she was doing her best to eliminate the high pitched tone from her use.

"Most of the time it just comes out," Bella replied, putting her own book down. "It's…not something that you can force out," she said finally.

Renesmee smiled, trying to picture what her parents would have been like; her mother, a clumsy, fragile teenager; her father, a brooding, dangerous vampire. It seemed so unlikely that it almost hurt to think about it, her parents being so different. To her, they had always just fit together so naturally that it was vomit inducing.

"I wish I could have seen you as a human…well, more of you," Renesmee admitted sadly. "I bet you were funny."

Bella shook her head knowingly. "What's this about?"

Renesmee looked back over at her mom, suddenly nervous. Her mom never made her feel nervous.

"I just…things are so…um….I…never mind," she finally said. Bella opened her mouth to say something when suddenly Rosalie appeared in the doorway.

Renesmee whirled around, surprised to see her unearthly beautiful aunt. If she was honest with herself, she knew that the two of them had been avoiding her ever since the closet incident.

Bella raised her eyebrows expectantly, waiting to hear what her sister-in-law would say. Rosalie floated to the couch, sitting down beside her niece. Awkwardly, she picked up Renesmee's hand in her cold one, her eyes shifting nervously.

"If you love someone…and you have a chance to be happy…you should do it," she finally said. Rosalie's golden eyes rose up to meet Renesmee's, and she felt her heart stutter for a moment. Rosalie heard it, and gave her a knowing smile.

"Rose…"

"No, Ness. I….I've been awful to Jacob. I know that. I still…don't particularly like him," she admitted, "but I want you to be happy. He makes you happy. I of all people would know…if you have a chance at something, you should take it. Find your own happiness."

Renesmee was speechless. Rosalie had made no secret of her hatred for Jacob over the years, and she wasn't sure how to take her aunt's sudden confession.

"T-Thank you," she finally managed to stutter. Rosalie's smile widened, and Renesmee realized that this must have been hanging over her aunt's shoulders for quite some time in order for her to appear so relieved.

"I never meant to yell," Rosalie said softly, her voice barely a whisper. Renesmee threw her arms around her aunt, breathing in her familiar honeysuckle and violet smell.

"Thank you," she whispered to her aunt again as she squeezed her. "Thank you for being honest."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

When Jacob returned several hours later, Renesmee was relieved. She was concerned about Damon, but was mainly curious about what Jacob had found out. The incident of Collin following Estrella out on her hunt the night before had left her questioning.

"Well?" she asked expectantly after hugging him tightly to her. She pressed her palm to his arm, showing him how impatient she had been while waiting for him to return. He smirked, wrapping an arm around her as he led her to the kitchen.

"Well," he teased, "he followed them out to some meadow. The three of them were hunting, and…"

"And what?"

Jacob grinned, yanking the refrigerator door open. Renesmee let her eyes drift over his half naked, muscled form as he stretched and reached to grab something. She swallowed hard as her heart began to race, praying that he didn't notice. The knowing smirk that danced across his dark features told her that she was indeed out of luck.

"See something you like?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at her. She huffed, rolling her eyes. Jacob chuckled to himself as he arranged some food on a plate, his eyes glancing up at her every few seconds.

"Don't be cocky," she muttered. "So, what happened?"

"You're like a sixth grade girl," he mused, taking a bite. He chewed slowly, knowing that it would drive her insane.

"Jake," she growled through her teeth, making him laugh even harder.

"Ooooh…scary," he growled back. She leaned back in her chair, sighing in frustration.

"Are you going to talk or are we going to sit here and growl at each other? And watch you stuff your face?" she asked impatiently.

Jacob chewed thoughtfully, listening to his imprint's racing heartbeat in the otherwise silent kitchen. "That would be hot," he admitted jokingly, and she sighed again.

"Okay okay," he finally lamented, sitting down at the counter next to her. "I shouldn't tell you this…"

"But you have to," she sternly reminded him. Jacob smirked at her, but continued.

"I only gathered this from his thoughts. I guess he just…followed them a bit, and then Stefan and Isadora left them alone. Those two kinda…ran off together I guess," he muttered. His eyes shifted over to Renesmee, who looked unaffected by the news. He breathed quick sigh of relief, then continued.

"Well anyway, he was in wolf form, just standing there with her and…she walked up to him and he growled at her. "

Renesmee's eyes grew wide. "He did?"

Jacob nodded. "Just kinda…a warning sound really, he wouldn't have hurt her."

"How do you know?"

"His imprint?" Jacob laughed. "No way," he said. "Anyway, he's growling at her and she just…walks right up and _pets _him."

Renesmee gaped at him. "She _pet _him?"

Jacob nodded, returning her shocked expression. "So…she pet him and asked him to change back, more or less."

Renesmee nodded, knowing that Estrella's grasp of English was still somewhat limited, even though she was a very fast learner.

"Well…from what I could see, he was kind of starting to give into her. Then she smiled, and I guess the moonlight kinda…glinted off her teeth and he lost it. He hightailed it out of there and that was history."

Renesmee gaped at Jacob. "Are you sure?" she asked. She ran the tip of her tongue over her own teeth, remembering that she and Estrella were the same species. Jacob had never acted like he was afraid of her - how strange for Collin to be so terrified of his imprint.

"Yeah…that was all I got before he kinda shoved it away in his brain…."

"Figures," she said, resting her head against his warm shoulder. She thought a moment, and then looked back up at him. "Jacob, if he can destroy a normal vampire, why would a half breed scare him so much?"

Jacob shrugged, and then looked uneasily at her sideways. "Ness, you still gotta understand…you're technically supposed to be my enemy. I…I was going to destroy you that day because I didn't know what you were capable of," he reminded her gently. "Half human or not, you could still do a lot of damage to a wolf that was caught off guard for some reason. He has a big reason to be wary of her."

"Oh," she said, laying her head back down. "I just…don't think of myself as dangerous. At all."

Jacob laughed softly, putting his arm around her shoulders. Renesmee savored the jolt of energy that came along with having so much of his skin in contact with hers. It made her shiver in delight.

"You could be if you wanted to," he reminded her softly. She nodded against his skin, her mind thinking of her vampire side and how dangerous she could really be.

_Little did she know that she would have to summon that side of her very soon_.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was a rare occurrence in the Denali home, but everyone was there that night. The search for Damon had been turning up cold trails and false leads, and Edward had suggested that everyone halt their searches for at least one night. Jasper actually looked tired from soaking up all the stress in the house, so Alice had suggested a game night. The wolves had approved, happy to be able to hinder Alice's ability to cheat, and she had sportingly agreed. The Denali clan wasn't big on games, and were curious to see what the fuss was all about.

"Renesmee was big on games when she was little," Alice explained to them. Renesmee grinned proudly, nodding to Kate and Garrett.

"I loved to play Trouble with Alice – it was the one game she couldn't cheat very easily at," Renesmee added, winking at her tiny aunt. Alice growled playfully as she set up the Monopoly board on the coffee table.

"Rose and I used to play a lot of Scrabble. That was hard for me to cheat on, since she would always keep changing her mind," Edward spoke up, giving Rosalie a sly grin.

"We had a lot of time on our hands when I first came around," Rosalie added with an eye roll.

"Yeah, I changed all that," Emmett added, playfully punching Edward in the shoulder. Bella snorted, shaking her head as Edward frowned up at his brother.

"Yes, newborn Emmett would get so frustrated that he would send the board flying across the room if he didn't have the right words. Esme got tired of extracting the little tiles from our walls, so we put Scrabble away for a decade or so," Edward remembered.

"He still doesn't have the patience for it," Rosalie laughed, patting Emmett on the knee. He grinned devilishly at Renesmee as Jasper took a seat beside him. Renesmee looked at her stressed uncle, her heart going out to him. He had been soaking up all the tension in the house for the past few weeks, and he was starting to actually appear tired.

Closing her eyes, she thought of all the happy thoughts she could from the past few days. She tried not to think of anything sensual, just pleasant, positive thoughts she had had. In her mind, she pictured pushing them in the direction of Jasper, almost like a ball of mist. She opened her eyes to see her uncle smiling at her with gratitude.

"Thanks," he mouthed to her. She grinned, happy that she could be of some help.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled on Jacob's hand until he walked over to where Collin was sitting in the corner.

"Come play Trouble with us," she insisted. Collin shrugged, getting up and following them to the corner table where she had set up the little game in front of the fireplace. She noticed Estrella watching with curious eyes from the couch across the room, so she motioned for her to join them.

Estrella walked over cautiously, her eyes on Collin the entire time. She gracefully tucked her legs underneath her body, taking the spot beside him on the rug. Jacob watched Collin closely, as if he was warning him with his eyes to behave himself in front of his imprint. Collin stared down at the board with wide eyes, as if he hoped that it would suck him up into it and make him disappear.

Renesmee explained the rules, careful to show Estrella how to _gently_ press down on the little plastic topper to turn the dice. Estrella listened carefully, using her limited grasp of English to follow Renesmee's directions.

"Remember when I used to always beat you at this game?" Renesmee laughed, moving her green piece up five spaces, knocking off Jacob's blue.

"Yeah, it was great that I could lose a game to a two year old," he chuckled, taking his piece from her gingerly. They laughed together, forgetting for a second that Collin and Estrella sat awkwardly by each other just inches away.

Renesmee composed herself, gesturing to Estrella to take her turn. She looked around at her family and smiled - Jasper, Garrett, Emmett, Rosalie, Tanya, Seth, and Eleazar were engrossed in a game of poker in one corner, while Bella, Edward, Alice, Kate, Quil and Embry were all trying to beat Alice at Monopoly in the center of the room. The rest of the family, Stefan, Isadora, and Brady, were learning to play a card game from Carmen that Renesmee didn't recognize. She smiled. For once, everyone looked happy.

"Trouble," she heard Estrella repeat, handing Collin a game piece of his that she had landed on. He gingerly accepted his green piece back from her, their hands brushing slightly. She beamed at him, obviously pleased at the touch. Collin shrank back from her, clearly irritated. His eyes met Jacob's, and they shared a silent exchange that Renesmee didn't quite understand.

She looked at Jacob questioningly, but he simply offered her a tight smile and they continued their game.

Once while they played, Renesmee noticed that Estrella was leaning on her hand, her legs tucked beneath her, and Collin's fingertips brushed against hers as he leaned on his free hand as well. Renesmee smiled to herself when she didn't see him flinch…or move.

More than once her eyes darted up across the room to watch Stefan and Isadora as they played cards with Carmen and Brady. They laughed and touched, flirting with each other, although Stefan was much more discrete about it than Isadora. Renesmee waited for the pangs of jealousy over seeing them together, but none came. She was happy that he was finally happy.

When Stefan caught her gaze, he gave her one of the most sincere smiles she had seen him give her in weeks. She returned it, elated to see her friend finally not look so forlorn and tortured.

"Your turn," Jacob said softly, nudging her in the side. She jumped slightly, breaking her gaze with Stefan as she turned her attention back to their game. As she moved her game piece, she could practically feel Jacob's possessive stare as he looked over her head across the room at Stefan.

Once her turn was done, she carefully rested her palm on Jacob's thigh, too high up to be considered friendly. He shifted in his position on the floor, clearing his throat softly. He gave her a pointed look, and she returned it with a coy smile.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They should have been ready when the vision came, but they were off guard if anything.

Renesmee and her family were packing up the board games after several hours when suddenly, Alice froze. Alice stood stock still, the only movement her trembling hands. She watched with her glassy gaze as the pictures moved and swirled behind her eyes, everyone still and waiting. Edward was at her side in a moment, watching, and waiting.

She came to with a large shudder, a moment unlike anything Renesmee had ever seen her tiny aunt do. Alice blinked several times, and Edward watched her face, his own gaze frozen and blank.

"Alice, what is it?" Renesmee questioned frantically. There was no room for doubt; Damon's shield had slipped.

"They're…coming," she stuttered out, her eyes still wide and blinking. She gaped at Edward, then at Stefan. Her gaze was strangely accusatory as she looked at him.

Stefan's mouth fell open, as if he could guess what she was going to say. "What is it? What has Damon done?"

"He had made some friends these past few weeks," Edward answered somberly. "They'll be here at dawn."

Renesmee's heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She gasped and choked for air, falling backwards against Jacob. Stefan's devastated gaze fell to the floor, and Bella darted to Edward's side. The entire group stood completely still, waiting for Alice to explain further.

By the time Alice had recovered from the vision, Edward had grown impatient. She had seen that Damon had met Jane, and that together they had created another group of newborns. Created solely to attack them. Damon's shield had slipped while they were making preparations for battle, and Alice had seen enough.

"Why her? Why would she want to do such a thing with Damon?" Stefan questioned later.

"It's not hard. He wants revenge, and so does Jane. I knew that wasn't the last we'd seen of her," Bella muttered. Her eyes moved up to meet Edward's, and they both looked suddenly serious.

Renesmee grew impatient as her panic grew. She had never forgotten the look on Jane's face in the meadow, even when she was still a tiny child. Jane had wanted them all dead, preferably Bella first. A fight with Jane would be ugly.

"It's okay," Jake spoke up. Laying both hands on her shoulders, he pulled her closer against his chest. She leaned against it, feeling its warmth. Usually the heat of his body calmed her, but not today.

"This is all my fault," she whispered. Her eyes scanned the room of still dazed family members and friends as they all tried to decide what to do. As she looked from person to person, she couldn't help but wonder: who would be hurt this time? Who would lose an arm? A leg? Or be killed? The guilt she felt for betraying them all and leaving with Damon was nearly crushing her.

The voice of her family seemed to fade into the background as she zoned in and out, trying to think of a way, any way, to help.

Damon and Jane were coming for them. And they would not be alone.

"We need to call for help," Emmett said firmly, moving to the center of the room.

"There isn't time," Edward shot back. "There isn't any time. This isn't like the last time when we had time to call for aid. Jane knew what she was doing…of course she did."

"We can't just fight alone," Emmett insisted.

"Hey, don't forget about us," Jacob said with a growl, standing up. Renesmee looked up at him, feeling very small all of the sudden. He towered over her, his voice deep and demanding. "We'll be here to fight. If you remember, that came in handy the last two times."

"True, but Jane will know what to expect. The newborns will know what to expect. We won't have the element of surprise," Alice pointed out.

Jacob scowled at her across the room, and Jasper stepped forward. "We need to be as organized as possible. We have to plan an attack the best we can with what time we have. Alice said they will be here at dawn. That gives us almost ten hours. Now, I think we can get a lot accomplished in ten hours," he said firmly. His golden eyes moved around the room, pausing at everyone. Some very unsure stares were returned to him.

"How many, Alice?" Bella asked.

Alice blinked, thinking back in her mind. "I…I think I saw nineteen. Maybe twenty or twenty one," she admitted. "I didn't see much."

"They'll fight each other on the way here, just like last time," Emmett said with a grin.

"No," Alice insisted. "Jane will keep them from doing anything rash. She knows what she's doing, Emmett. She doesn't want to lose."

Emmett shrank back against Rosalie, shaking his head in defeat. "We can hope," he muttered.

Renesmee sat back in her chair, thinking hard about the numbers. Her family made six, as Carlisle and Esme were still at home in Forks. Jake's pack was made up of six members, and the Denali coven was also six, counting Stefan. Her stomach sank as she realized they were outnumbered, with no time to call for help.

She looked at Nahuel and his sisters, who stood off to the side. What would the hybrids do? Would they not be allowed to fight? What was her role in all of this?

Her family talked for several more minutes, the buzz of their quick voices too fast for her to decipher in her dazed state. All she could think of were the faces of her family and friends – would they be hurt? Who wouldn't come out alive? How could she live with herself if one of them perished? She knew that the guilt of that alone would haunt her forever. She had to protect her family.

She gripped Jacob's hot hand, gritting her teeth together. Her father looked over at her, his golden eyes sad. He had seen her thought before she even finished thinking it.

"Renesmee, no. I will not allow it," he said softly.

"With all due respect, Dad….that's not up to you," she answered back. One by one, the voices of her family stopped, turning their attention to the nearly silent exchange between father and daughter. Jacob looked at her questioningly, more confused than anyone.

"What is it, Ness? Why is he saying no to you?" he asked her, shaking her shoulders gently. She stared at Edward, whose expression was still like a statue.

"No," he repeated.

Renesmee felt the anger boiling up inside of her, and she snapped her teeth shut in anger. Jacob looked at her again, and she stood up suddenly. How dare he turn down her idea!

"I won't be left here defenseless as my family fights for my mistakes. I won't stay here and let you all fight when you're outnumbered!" She insisted loudly.

"You won't be anywhere near those newborns, Renesmee," Edward replied. "They're unstable and-"

"-You underestimate me time and time again! I have to fight! It won't be a fair battle if I don't!"

"Renesmee, no!" Bella interjected, darting to her daughter's side. She placed her marble hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You don't even know how to fight."

"Then teach me."

"No!"

"If you won't let me fight, at least teach me how to defend myself!"

"There won't be any need for that," Jacob spoke up. "None of those leeches are getting anywhere near-"

"Watch it," Edward warned him. Jacob growled, and Edward growled back at him.

"Stop it!" Bella interjected.

"This isn't the time for that!" Alice shouted. "We don't have much time!"

"This isn't going to be a fair fight!" Renesmee said.

"That's not for you to worry about!" Jacob insisted loudly. "You can't possibly expect to go out there and fight a newborn vampire, Renesmee! And Damon and, and Jane? You're out of your mind if you think-"

"Oh, so now I'm crazy for wanting to fight for my family?"

Their shouts grew louder and louder as they continued to argue, all while their impending fight loomed closer and closer.

"STOP!" Eleazar finally boomed. Everyone froze, un-used to the calm vampire's shout. They turned to stare at him, waiting to hear what he would say.

"We cannot expect the half breeds to fight," he said softly, making eye contact with Nahuel, Estrella, Isadora, and Renesmee. "But we cannot overlook the fact that they know nothing about how to fight a newborn vampire. We wish to keep them from harm because they are not as strong as we are, but we must prepare for the worst. I do not think it wise to leave them completely defenseless against a newborn. They do not pose the strength of us, but they have other talents and gifts that will work to their advantage. Perhaps we have enough time to show them the basics of fighting so that they will at least be able to defend themselves until help can arrive."

Everyone seemed to calm down after listening to Eleazar's speech, and Edward grudgingly agreed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I don't like this one bit," Jacob muttered to himself as they headed outside.

"It's not up to you," she muttered, rubbing her hands together in the chilly night. "I need to do this, Jake."

"I don't want you anywhere near where those stupid leeches are going to be!"

"I won't be near them," Renesmee said softly, putting her hand on Jacob's arm as they walked out to the center of the yard. "But Eleazar is right. I will need to know at least how to hold one off until someone can come and help me."

"Won't happen," Jacob insisted, shaking his head. Renesmee heaved an exasperated sigh. Werewolves could be so annoyingly stubborn sometimes.

"This is ridiculous…" Jacob continued to fume as they gathered around in a circle. "They won't even get anywhere close-"

"Jacob!" she snapped, whirling around. "I won't be left defenseless. I need to do this. You're either with me, or against me. Which is it?"

Jacob balked, startled at her sharp words. "I'm with you. Always…" he mumbled, lowering his eyes to the ground. Renesmee lifted her chin in defiance, proud of herself that she could make a powerful Alpha male cower to her. She was off to a good start.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She could practically feel Jacob wincing as Tanya squared her shoulders, preparing to launch herself again. Renesmee took her battle stance and concentrated, trying to remember everything she had been taught. She was starting to feel a little cocky as Tanya ran at her, when suddenly the strawberry blonde vampire hissed and shrieked at the last minute. The noise startled Renesmee and made her lose her concentration.

"Oof!" she gasped as Tanya tackled her to the ground.

"Don't let her get her arms around you!' Emmett boomed from the sidelines.

Jacob gritted his teeth and watched as Tanya pulled Renesmee up in preparation to pull her arms from her sockets.

"You have to remember that they're wild – they'll make sounds," Tanya said gently, releasing her grip and helping pull Renesmee back up. Renesmee smiled, wiping a few stray hairs out of her eyes.

"Okay," she said determinedly.

Tanya ruffled her hair and grinned. "Again," she said, her light Russian accent lacing her voice. Renesmee nodded, preparing herself.

Looking over, she frowned. "Stop, Jacob," she said gently. Jacob stopped his pacing from thirty feet away, crossing her arms in front of his chest.

"Tanya is a good fighter," Edward said to him. Jacob's jaw tightened in response.

"Yeah, and he's next!" Renesmee called out, pointing at Jacob. He snorted, shaking his head.

"Not in this lifetime, sister," he sneered, Renesmee laughed as she crouched down and prepared for Tanya's launch.

This time, when the blonde vampire got close enough, Renesmee jumped up into the air as high as she could, placing herself behind her. When Tanya whirled around, Renesmee caught her by both of her arms and used her gift to send Tanya an image of what she imagined it would be like to be caught in a giant snow avalanche. She watched as Tanya's eyes widened, her body growing still.

"Ah!" she gasped, losing control. While the blonde vampire was still temporarily frozen in fear, Renesmee pinned her arms behind her neck in a submissive hold. She finished by adding her most intimidating snarl.

Tanya fell to the ground, still temporarily shocked as she blinked. "What…what happened?"

Edward grinned, stepping forward. Renesmee helped Tanya up, brushing some snow off her clothes.

"My daughter just stunned you, I believe," he said smugly.

Renesmee let several more of her family members have a chance at feeling her special gift in a not so pleasant way. Each time, the visions she projected got more and more horrible and terrifying.

"Ulgh," Jasper gasped after Renesmee had her turn fighting with him. She was no match for a fighter like Jasper, but they had all agreed that he could probably give her the most pointers.

"What did she show you?" Bella asked, stepping forward.

Jasper shook his head and smiled sideways at Renesmee. "Just blackness, with no end in sight," he said, giving her an amused smile. He shuddered for dramatic effect, and she grinned at him as she re-tied her copper hair into a ponytail.

"A bit scary, but it would definitely be terrifying if I didn't know it was coming," Jasper admitted to Edward. Jacob stood next to them, his arms still crossed and a look of distaste on his face.

"Reminds me a bit of what Zafrina used to do. Hers were…unsettling as well," Tanya added with a shudder. They all remembered what the wild looking vampire had shown them years ago while practicing for the Volturi's visit after Renesmee's birth.

"We should be calling them for help," Emmett muttered, pulling Rosalie up against him. His eyes scanned the dark forest around them uneasily. It was the middle of the night, and Alice predicted they had about five more hours before Damon and Jane arrived.

"For the last time, Emmett…there_ is_ no time," Edward reminded him. Emmett growled in frustration.

"You're doing well," Jasper said to her, patting her on the shoulder.

"Thanks…I…I need a break though. Is that okay?" Renesmee asked timidly. It was intimidating at times to be surrounded by people who never grew tired – ever.

"Sure thing," he said, nodding at her.

Meanwhile, Jacob watched the other half breeds practice fighting. Each time Nahuel or Isadora would hit the ground with a thud, he would wince. They were practicing with Eleazar and Carmen, while Alice coached from the side. Biting his lip, he realized that the fight could never come to the point where the half breeds needed to get involved. Renesmee was lucky that she had a gift, but the for the most part the hybrids were practically defenseless. They didn't stand a chance against full grown vampires.

Beside him, Collin practically danced in place as he shifted from foot to foot. His eyes were glued on Estrella as she began circling with Bella. Jacob remembered Nahuel explaining to Edward that Estrella's fighting skills were a bit better from living by herself for so many years – the young girl had had to be on her guard at all times in self defense. Her long legs gave her speed that was unnatural to a hybrid; she was almost as fast as Edward.

"She'll be fine," Garrett said, resting his hand on Collins' shoulder. The young man nearly jumped out of his skin as Garrett's cold hand made contact with his hot shoulder. Collin scowled at the former nomad and stalked away.

"He's just jumpy. Don't take him to heart right now," Jacob muttered. Garrett nodded, turning his eyes to watch the progress.

After Renesmee took a brief rest, she returned to her practicing with Jasper.

"Only a few more minutes, Jasper. She needs some rest," Edward called out. Jasper nodded before Renesmee launched herself at him again. Jacob winced.

"She doesn't need to know how to fight, Edward," he said firmly. Edward glanced at him sideways, nodding. He stepped closer to Jacob, his voice low.

"Would you have me leave her defenseless, just as she said? Would you have me leave my own daughter with no knowledge of how to at least stand a chance should something happen? History has taught me that I cannot be careful enough."

Jacob sucked in a breath, knowing that Edward was right. He certainly didn't want to take any chances with Renesmee.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They practiced all together in the backyard for several more minutes, and then it was decided that the half breeds would need rest. Renesmee was yawning, and Isadora and Estrella also looked exhausted.

"They'll need their rest, just in case," Alice pointed out to Jasper. He nodded, holding up a hand to Stefan to signal him to stop.

"It won't even come to that, so forget it," Jacob interjected. Alice gave him a stern glare.

"I can't see what's going to happen, Jacob. We can't take our chances," she said firmly.

"She's right," Bella added, walking over to where Jacob stood. Her arm was woven in with Renesmee's, and she led her daughter to stand next to him.

"There's nothing wrong with me wanting to learn how to fight."

"Why do you need to?" he demanded. Renesmee placed herself directly in front of him, her brown eyes narrowed.

"I might not need to, but I want to," she said firmly. As much as she adored Jacob, he was getting on her nerves with this stubbornness. He was being an ass.

"This is stupid."

"It isn't up to you!"

"It's unnecessary," he insisted. The wolves all stood in human form behind him, and they gave the back of head a skeptical look.

"Jake, give it a rest," Embry pleaded. "So she wants to fight! At least let her learn without being a stubborn ass."

Jacob turned around and growled, eying his pack mate. Embry just raised his eyebrows as Jacob proved his 'stubborn ass' comment to be true.

"She needs some rest," Bella repeated, her eyes narrowing at Jacob.

"Jake, don't be like this," Renesmee pleaded, eying his crossed arms. "And if you're going to be like this, then go somewhere else and pout," she finally added, dropping Bella's arm. She walked in the direction of the house, leaving an amused group of wolves and vampires in her wake.

"She told you," Bella said matter of factly, raising an eyebrow at Jake.

He growled, turning his attention to his imprint as she stalked through the trampled, snowy yard back in the direction of the house. He felt awful for being so stubborn, but if she thought for one second that she was going to fight an unpredictable newborn vampire, she was mistaken. He would die before that would happen.

Several members of the Denali clan stayed out and practiced with Emmett. Stefan was getting private fighting lessons with Jasper himself – he had never been in a fight before as a vampire, and had no idea what to do. The wolves returned to the house with Alice, Bella, Rosalie, Edward, and the hybrids.

As Jacob walked in through the back doors, he saw Renesmee standing in the middle of the room, looking out the windows as the other practiced fighting. Their eyes met briefly, and he cursed himself for acting like such an overprotective guard dog. He simply couldn't help it.

"Get some rest," Bella said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Renesmee was about to protest, but saw that even Nahuel was slumped into a chair, already dozing. She didn't want to miss anything, but she couldn't deny that she felt the weight of the day on her shoulders. Sleep was definitely needed if she was going to make it through the next day.

"I guess," she said with a yawn. It was nearly two in the morning, and Alice had seen the newborns coming at dawn. Her stomach flopped over with just the thought.

As she climbed the stairs to her room, her thoughts raced. She had been so preoccupied with fighting lessons the past few hours that she had barely had time to consider what this battle meant.

Would she lose a beloved friend or family member? Would all the wolves come out alive? Her heart sank at the idea of one of them losing their lives – would they leave an imprint at home, waiting for a wolf that would never return? She shuddered at the thought.

_If someone gets hurt tomorrow…this is all my fault,_ she thought sadly. The past few weeks played in her mind. Hindsight truly was 20/20. All of her flaws and mistakes replayed in her mind, only now they were highlighted for her to see. If only she could go back and make them al better…

"I can't," she whispered to herself. She couldn't go back and fix things, and there was no promise that everything was going to be okay. Tomorrow would be dangerous, and someone might not come out alive. How would she live with herself?

She lay down on her bed, not even bothering to remove the comforter and get in between the sheets. Her mind drifted as she lay there, unmoving, unable to find sleep…Downstairs her family and friends discussed their battle tactics in detail, trying to decide where to fight them and how to best do it.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, she felt the bed shift as someone climbed in with her. Laying on her side, she felt the heat radiating from him and against her back as she waited to feel him against her. He molded himself against her back, wrapping a bare, muscled arm around her torso.

"I'm sorry," he said into the back of her neck. He pressed his nose against her skin there, inhaling deeply as if he was memorizing her scent.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?"

"I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"Never."

"I'm sorry too," she whispered into the darkness. She squeezed the hand that was on her stomach as she tried to stop her racing mind. At that moment, she realized that becoming an adult simply meant saying you were sorry and then accepting the consequences of your actions.

_Why couldn't I have learned that sooner?_ She asked herself.

She turned her head around to look at him over her shoulder. "Jake? When this is over…" she trailed off, unsure of how to say what she wanted.

"What honey? What do you want?"

"When…this is all over…I want to go somewhere. Just the two of us."

"Anything you want, Ness," he said quickly, pressing a hot kiss to her cheek. His lips lingered there, burning into her skin in the most sinfully delightful way. Pressing her hand to his forearm, she sent him a picture of the two of them somewhere private and secluded, alone…together. She felt him shudder.

"I would want nothing more," he said finally, kissing her cheek again. "I promise you we'll go."

She sighed, turning back around. "You promised. So you have to come home tomorrow," she said, closing her eyes.

"I'll always come home to you. No matter what," he said, tightening his grip on her.

They were silent for a moment, and she thought he had fallen asleep until he spoke.

"Love you, Ness. Always have, always will," he said. The words danced on her tongue, but she simply couldn't say them – yet.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but eventually Alice opened her bedroom door and poked her head in somberly.

"Alice? What is it?" she asked, bolting up. Jacob was gone, and the light in the room had changed; it was almost dawn. Alice stepped inside, her face drawn and serious.

"About another half an hour…and we'll have company."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hmm, so how do you think this will turn out? Pretty exciting stuff! I'm working on the next three chapters right now, and they're looking pretty great – I'm really excited to share them with you all! Collin and Estrella's story is also shaping up really nicely, and I've decided that the post date for that fic will be 10/1/10.

****BIG NEWS!****

**Untouchable was nominated for its first award!**

It was nominated for a '**Jacob Black and The Pack' Award for best Jacob and Nessie**– so a HUGE thank you to the person that nom'd me! So excited! Voting hasn't started yet, but I will let you guys know when you can (hopefully) vote for that. I will put the link of my profile page when that is available. I'm also up for several other awards too, amazingly enough, and you can find links to vote on my profile as well.

Thank you to my beta, Rain-It-Shall for her awesome work on all of this! I wouldn't be able to do this without you.

Please review!


	40. Fight for Love

Pretty baby don't you leave me  
I have been saving smiles for you  
Pretty baby why can't you see  
You're the one that I belong to  
I'll be the embrace that keeps you warm  
For you're the sun that breaks the storm

Oh just the scent of you it makes me hurt  
So how's it you that makes me better  
Why can't you hold me and never let go  
When you touch me it is me that you own

Pretty Baby – Vanessa Carlton

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It had begun.

The day of the battle had arrived.

Jane was on her way with Damon and their newborn army, and they had no time to call for help or make any further plans. The battle was breathing down their necks and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

She had dressed and rushed downstairs where everyone was already gathered. They had planned to meet Damon and Jane on a tundra of pure ice and snow a few miles from the house. It was a span of white that stretched for miles. There was no cover, but that was what they would be counting on. Both Jane and Damon were well aware of the wolves' existence, so they didn't even have the element of that surprise again like the first time they had battled the newborns.

"They're more organized than last time. I keep getting flashes. Damon is already distracted," Renesmee heard Alice say quietly to Bella. She didn't think she would ever get over her aunt looking so stressed out and confused. Not being able to see what Damon was doing was really starting to get to her. And when Alice, their confident and nearly omniscient family member was confused and frightened, it was natural for everyone else to be as well.

Everyone stood in the great room in a circle. The night was still dark, but the light had changed and it was evident that dawn was quickly approaching.

Renesmee walked over to her parents and hugged them both. She kissed her father's cheek and then dug her face into the crook of her mother's neck. Inhaling, she savored the sweet scent of Bella's freesia and honeysuckle smell, wishing she could hold onto her like this forever. Bella pulled away, looking at her daughter with her eyes of honeyed gold. "It will be alright, Renesmee," she said softly. Bella spoke with such fierce certainty that it gave her chills.

Renesmee dug her face back into her mother's neck. "How can you say that?" she practically whimpered. The thought of anything happening to one of her family members was completely devastating.

"You mustn't punish yourself for this anymore," her father said, placing his chilly hand on her back. She turned and hugged him as well, savoring the clean, crisp scent. Her body shook with fear as she thought about life without either one of her parents. He rubbed a circle on her shoulder blade, gently squeezing her against him. "I pity anyone who stands between me and my family," he murmured against the top of her head.

Jasper began to speak about their tactics now that everyone was awake and together, and she suddenly wanted to be near Jacob. For the first time ever, the pull she felt towards him felt almost suffocating, as if she would die if she wasn't close to him. Moving around her family and friends, she finally found him standing with his pack near the doors. She wrapped herself close to him, marveling in the way his hot skin felt against hers. What if she never felt him like this ever again?

He sighed and continued to watch Jasper speak, but managed to wrap his arm around her as he listened. It was obvious that everyone in the room wanted to hear as much from Jasper's long range of experience as possible. Renesmee watched in almost pure captivation as her uncle explained the battle tactics and method of approach. The newborns had been defeated once, but that was only out of sheer luck and the element of surprise. They hadn't known about the wolves, and they hadn't had a vampire like Jane training them.

"They will be fast and strong, but clumsy. They will have no skill or lithe about the way they will move. I cannot foresee that Jane has had enough time to train them that well."

"What does Jane know of fighting?" Tanya spoke up. Jasper looked at her, his eyes serious.

"Jane is a vampire so old and knowledgeable that she puts all of us to shame. She has seen the wrath of battle more times than I would care to count. Every battle from the past, every uprising of armies in the South…Jane has seen it all, and she had been there to clean up the mess."

"I see," Tanya muttered, stepping back. She gave her sister a shrug, and they both turned to look back at Jasper. Renesmee guessed that the Denali sisters were hoping to have some age and experience on the satanic looking vampire girl, but to no avail.

"Jane has been there for as long as I can remember. I can recall seeing her in Mexico around the time of my turning. She was eons old then. Over a century and a half of being on the guard has certainly not hindered her. She had been there to see every flaw, every mistake, and every battle, won or lost over the years. Think, to yourselves…what that means."

"She will have seen every move and every tactic out there," Tanya muttered, Jasper nodded at her sentiment.

"You are right. Keep that in mind. These are not like last time," he said, looking at Edward and Emmett. They won't be the same type of newborns. The only thing we can hope is that we can use their speed and muscle against them. Fight smart; think before attacking. They might be expecting some of our moves," he said.

Everyone nodded once to signal that they understood. Renesmee felt a chill run down her spine at the idea of one of her family members going up against Jane. She knew that the child-like vampire had years of experience, but…hearing about it practically firsthand from Jasper was a chilling experience.

It was decided that the four hybrids would stay at the house, guarded by one wolf. If he was needed that wolf could run the short distance to the tundra to help out if the need were to present itself.

"We'll stay linked with the one left behind," Jacob spoke up. "He'll leave the house only if he needs to.'"

_If that wolf has to leave to fight, that means things are bad, _Renesmee thought frantically.

She watched as Jacob nodded at Collin while Jasper explained his role. Collin nodded back, his eyes flicking to Estrella. The other half-breeds stood together in the circle, looking as confused and scared as Renesmee felt. The thought of fighting newborns terrified her, but knew within an instant that she would do anything needed to protect her family.

When Jasper was done, Renesmee watched as the couples in the room turned to each other to strategize. Renesmee had learned early on that mated pairs worked well together in battle because they knew each other's tactics, strengths, and weaknesses. In the back of her mind, she was silently thankful that Carlisle and Esme weren't there. She couldn't stand the idea of either one of her gentle, dear grandparents endangering themselves.

An air of determination settled over the room as all eyes slowly turned to Alice. Everything seemed to stop and fall silent as she glanced at the glowing horizon through the windows.

"It's time," she said simply. She was going off the one vision that she had seen from Damon, the one time he had slipped that tipped Alice off to the time of their arrival: dawn. They could only hope that they were seeing what was really happening and not what Damon wanted them to see.

Renesmee folded her arms across her stomach to keep herself from falling apart right there. It felt as though a giant hole had been ripped in her stomach.

_Be strong,_ she willed herself. _This is no time to fall apart. _

Looking up, her eyes met another person she needed to talk to before this all started.

She walked up to Stefan and didn't hesitate to hug him. The surprise registered on his face as she embraced him, and soon his arms were wrapped around her as well. She pulled away, oblivious to watching eyes.

"Stefan…I know that things have been…bad between us," she finally sputtered. "But…please be careful out there. You're too good...and…even though things didn't work out between us…that doesn't mean that I love you any less."

He smiled tightly at her, the pain of her words evident on his perfectly chiseled face.

"I love you too, Renesmee," he said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head as he hugged her. "And…if something happens to me, please know that I'll always love you."

"Do you hate me?" she asked timidly, leaning away from him.

She stared up into his breathtaking green and golden eyes, watching his emotions. Placing her hand on his cheek, she showed him all the love and friendship she felt for him. Her gift channeled all of her feelings for him and surged through her hand in a ball of emotion. She hoped it would be enough to show him how she felt. He gave her a tight smile as the vision faded.

"I don't hate you, Renesmee. I would rather have you in my life as a friend than not at all," he finally said.

She smiled, hugging him again. He stepped away, and she felt her heart grow lighter as he walked over to Isadora. There was no mistaking the emotions exchanged between them as the hybrid clung to his stony body, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her bronzed skin. Renesmee sighed as she silently hoped that he would be okay. He had finally found happiness again in Isadora, and she wanted more than anything for him to be able to keep it.

She felt two strong arms encircle her waist, turning her around. Smiling sadly, she hugged her mother close.

_I love you,_ she said with her gift_. Be safe._

Bella smiled. "Your father used to say the same thing to me once upon a time," she mused, reaching for Edward's hand.

"Don't trip?" he guessed. Both women smiled at his humor, and tried to relax to make the best of their goodbye.

"Be safe," Renesmee repeated out loud. "I mean that."

"We'll be alright. Jane won't get me," Bella said firmly, her eyes focused and determined. Edward put hand on her shoulder, and they moved away. Renesmee hugged each of her family members, and then watched as they each said their goodbyes.

When she had hugged everyone in her vampire family, she finally turned to Jacob.

"You know each time you say goodbye to me it's only going to get harder," Jacob said with a grin. Renesmee wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her body up against his.

"I don't care. Why can't you stay? Why does it have to be you that goes?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice low. People moved all around them, preparing to leave.

"Collin begged me to stay. He'll be good here, and if we need him he can come."

"Why couldn't it be you?"

Jacob looked down at her, smiling wryly. "I have to go, babe. I'm the Alpha, after all," he added, giving her a cocky wink.

"Being Alpha is overrated."

"You could say that again."

"So stay."

"No. The Alpha won't let me," he joked, squeezing her against his chest.

"Don't be so sure of yourself. It makes me nervous."

"It should make you feel better!" he said indignantly, his voice raising. Everyone else in the room stopped to look at them, and both of their cheeks reddened simultaneously.

She was silent for a moment, her eyes moving slowly down his body. She took in the broad planes of his chest as he stood before her, half clothed and ready for battle. His chest stuck out defiantly, as if he was already ready to face the newborns that were on their way. Renesmee pressed her lips together as she tried to drink him in and remember every detail.

She threw her arms around him again, squeezing him tightly. Her face was pressed up against his warm torso, and she never wanted to let him go. Letting him go meant that he had to go fight. Letting him go meant that he would soon be in danger.

"Ness, you have to let me go," he gently prodded. "I have to go fight."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I can't bear the thought of anything bad happening to you."

Jacob stroked her back for a few seconds, then pulled her away. "I will come back. This will all be over soon," he said in determination. Placing his fingers underneath her chin, he lifted it up and let his lips crash against hers for everyone to see. She paused for a moment in surprise, but realized that she didn't care who saw. This might be her last chance to kiss him like this.

Her lips moved against his as his arms wrapped around her once again. She tried her best to savor the moment, the feeling of his hair tickling her cheek, the rough yet comforting feeling of his mouth against hers… the way the tip of his tongue felt against her lower lip. Her sharp mind swirled as it fought to enjoy this moment, yet remember every detail to save for later.

He finally broke the kiss, and she was glad he did for she would have kissed him like that forever if she had been allowed. Renesmee had never seen his brown eyes so full of emotion and longing as they were now. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than for everything to be over and to be a thousand miles away from there.

"I have to go," he said softly as his pack mates began to stir beside him.

She nodded, biting her lower lip. "I know." Not crying became her main concern as he looked at her, squeezing her hands in his large palms.

At the last second, he gently yanked her back against his body in a tight hug.

"Come back to me," she whispered.

He inhaled deeply, kissing the top of her head. "You're my world, and I'm going to love you for the rest of forever when this is done," he said in an urgent whisper. Chills ran down her arms as he let her go and turned to the door. He exited without looking at her again.

If he didn't come back, it would surely kill her. If losing Jacob didn't kill her, then she would want to be dead anyway. She had nearly lost him once, and a life without him wasn't one she wanted to have anything to do with.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob put his hand on Collin's wolf shoulder, giving his pack mate a reassuring pat.

"I'm doing this for you – letting you stay. But you have to promise me that if I call, you'll come. NO excuses."

The wolf in front of him nodded his head once, and Jacob knew that Collin understood. He had come to him the night before, practically on his knees begging to stay. Jacob had been shocked; he had no idea that Collin would ask such a thing. He had avoided his imprint for over a week now, pretending and acting as though he wanted nothing to do with her. But when the idea of being separated from her was presented, Jacob thought it was going to rip Collin in half from the pain. For days, he had blocked his mind while patrolling with Jacob, careful not to think of anything that had to do with Estrella. However, small images of her would always creep in. Jacob knew that he cared for her, yet he had no idea that his friend would be willing to ask to stay behind to protect her.

Jacob had eventually agreed. If Collin stayed and they were both phased, he would be able to, in a way, keep an eye on his own imprint. He wanted them to stay behind and out of trouble, which Renesmee seemed to have a knack for finding sometimes.

"Stay here and guard our girls. I know you won't let anything happen to them," Jacob said, nodding at Collin.

"I'm counting on you Collin. I don't have to remind you," he finally said.

"Jacob!" Emmett boomed from the tree line. He smacked his fist against the side of the large tree, making it shudder against the early morning sky. Emmett was eager for a fight, and wanted to 'get on with it' as he had said earlier.

Jacob turned and waved him off, stepping away from Collin. He began to jog backwards, his eyes on the windows at the back of the house. There stood his imprint, watching him go. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes from several hundred yards away. Each glistening drop felt like a tiny knife in his own heart as he moved away from her. When he hit the trees, he quickly stripped and tossed his shorts to the side. Phasing, he quickly caught up to where the rest of the group was making their way out onto the still–dark tundra. The sun glowed tauntingly at the horizon, signaling that dawn was coming.

_It won't be long now,_ he thought.

He felt his hackles rise up as the group of wolves and vampires ran together through the last bits of the forest and onto the flat, snowy field.

Jacob winced slightly as they broke through the trees and finally made it to their destination. Their battlefield.

He winced slightly as the icy wind hit him once he was out of the shelter of the trees. It bit at his eyes and nose, making him actually almost feel cold. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt cold. But here, in the middle of nowhere in the icy and snow, waiting for vampires to come and fight him to the death…he felt it.

The vampires around him silent came to a halt, arranging themselves in a long line. Edward stood up front a little more than the others; Jasper and Alice at one side, Emmett on the other. The wolves stood at the ends of the lines, already crouched down and ready for a fight. It was coming; they could _feel_ it.

"How long?" Edward asked Alice. She looked at him, her golden eyes wide. Shaking her head, she looked almost panicked.

"I…I can't see. I can't tell…if the vision is still right…about three minutes," she said. "Can you hear them?"

Edward paused, concentrating. He shook his head. "Either he's got them shielded or they're just not close enough. I don't hear anything."

The two siblings exchanged a worried glance the rest of the vampires and wolves took their places in a line on the snow. Jacob looked down the line at the faces of the vampires he had grown to respect and actually care for – Edward, Bella, Emmett, Alice, Carmen…Even Rosalie, who was normally his worst enemy, he realized he would do almost anything to protect her.

_No one will die today,_ he growled. His pack mates had settled into a pre-battle hum of thoughts, plans, and strategies as they concentrated on the upcoming fight, but they all managed to growl in agreement. They were determined and steady, concentrating on the battle before them. One thought rang simultaneously through their minds.

_There would be no losses today. _

They stood, completely silent. The only sound was the wind whipping across the desolate, icy plane and the beating hearts of the wolves. The quite ate at his mind, taunting him. For a few minutes, he debated what part of fighting was actually worse; waiting for it, or actually fighting. He couldn't decide.

_Where are they?_ Seth wondered, stamping his paw against the ice.

Jacob flattened his ears against his head, swishing his tail. _They'll be here. We have several things they want, I'm sure of it._ The faces of Nahuel, Isadora, Estrella, and finally Renesmee flashed in front of his mind to remind them all.

_That fucking Italian bloodsucker won't get Nessie, _Quil growled._ Not on my watch. _

_Thanks Quil. _

_Yeah Jake…we got your back. She won't be a trophy in that collection,_ Embry added.

Jacob felt pride as his normally even tempered pack mates started to get into the proper mindset of a fight. No mercy, and no letting up until every _thing_ was dead.

A determined mental hush fell over the wolves as they waited, ignoring the icy wind and bits of ice that blew in their faces. When the light of the sun finally shone above the mountain, that was the first time they heard it.

They were guttural sounds, like animals. Animals on a hunt.

Their footsteps were almost silent, but were too rhythmic to be ignored. A few of them grunted as they ran, growls and hisses sounding deep in their throats.

Jacob stared at the tree line at the edge of the tundra, watching, waiting. Then, they saw them.

Moving so fast they were practically blurs, racing away from the sun and towards their waiting group. The line he was standing in began to move as their defense prepared themselves for the attack.

There were eighteen of them. Their newborn legs churned and moved quickly, propelling them at lightning speed across the snowy earth, their grunts and growls echoing off the ice.

"Be ready. They'll be strong, so be smarter," Jasper growled to them. Several hisses could be heard as a signal of confirmation of his order, and Jacob felt his lips instinctively pull back over his teeth. He was ready.

The sunlight broke over the mountain like a beacon, shining on their white skin as they ran, making them glitter and shine. The sight of their icy skin made him want to do nothing more than rip it to shreds.

"Steady Jacob. Remember...be smart," Edward warned beside him. Jacob nodded, pawing at the ground.

Just before they were about to reach their line, Jacob spotted them. Running behind the line of mindless fighters, there they were: Damon and Jane. From nearly two miles away he could see their red eyes glittering in the sunlight that lit up the tundra.

_Damon is mine_, he growled.

Before he could finish his thought, the newborns were upon them. As they planned, he saw the older vampires that were his allies move to the sides, using the newborns' brute strength and speed against them. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Emmett grab one by the arm as it launched itself at him and propel it across the ice.

As he pounced on one of the larger ones, he heard the all too familiar sound of vampire limbs being ripped off. He could only hope that none of his friends' limbs were part of the steadily growing heaps around him.

He circled his newborn of choice, a tall, bald headed man that looked like he had been a biker. Jacob snarled, showing the newborn his teeth. He knew that their natural instinct was to be afraid of something like that.

_That's right, bring it on, you miserable piece of shit! _He growled to himself. He slapped his jaws for effect, hoping to startle him. The vampire in front of him did the opposite. He lunged for him, snapping his own set of teeth. And so it began.

Jacob rolled as the vampire lunged for him, sending him crashing into the icy ground. The bald vampire stood up and growled, already irritated that he had been tricked. Jacob swished his tail and growled again, taunting him.

They continued to fight and snap at each other for what felt like hours. Jacob was having a hard time tricking this vampire; he was smart. Much smarter than the newborns Victoria had trained.

"Jane has trained them," Edward hissed, appearing next to him. He looked at Jacob and nodded, and they each lunged at the exact same moment. Finally managing to catch him off guard, they each ripped one of the arms from his body. The sound of marble shattering echoed in the air, making Jacob finally feel somewhat satisfied.

He glanced around, relieved to see that all of his pack mates were still standing. His mind whirred quickly in thought, scanning the brains of each one of the wolves around him. The newborns were smarter and quicker than the last time, but no one was having a terribly hard time yet.

_Thanks,_ he thought to Edward. But Edward wasn't watching. Jacob turned his large head to see what Edward was staring at. There, in the middle of the battle, Bella and Jane stood just feet from each other, in a blistering stare down.

"Bella, no!" Edward shouted, racing over to his wife.

He felt his stomach drop as he watched the two lunge at each other, their hisses echoing off the ice.

Jacob surveyed the fight as Edward ran to Bella's side. No wolves were down. He ran over to help Seth, who had a vampire on his back. Seth's large head whipped from side to side, trying to get a grip on the body of the vampire that straddled him. Jacob leaped up over Seth's body, taking the torso of the newborn in his mouth. He closed his jaws, shattering the body.

_Thanks Jake,_ Seth panted. He collapsed to the ground to get his breath.

_Come on, Bella needs our help!_ Jacob urged.

_Bella? Oh no!_ Seth yelped, jumping to his feet. The two wolves ran together to where Jane and Bella stood in the center of the battle field. Then both stood up from their initial attack, panting and staring each other down again. Jacob watched in horror as Jane's lips curled back from her teeth and an ear piercing scream rattled from her tiny chest. Bella didn't flinch.

"All these years I've wanted to take you and this pack of mutants down!" She snarled.

"If you so much as touch any of them, I'll rip you to shreds and have a bonfire," Bella hissed back.

Jane hissed, flashing her white teeth before lunging. The two female vampires rolled together on the snow, a white blur of motion as they swiped and growled at each other. Edward interceded the first chance he got, pulling Bella away from a snarling Jane. He bared his teeth at Jane, making her recoil and step back. Edward held Bella against him, his hand running down the side of her face. Jacob shivered as he realized that Bella had been hurt; her lovely face had scratches down the sides, and a chunk of her hair had been ripped out.

We can't let her get away with that, was Jacob's only thought as he took in the sight of his injured friend.

Edward growled deeply in agreement, and Jane's eyes widened as she realized that she had been cornered by the two of them. Both Edward and Jacob prepared to lunge when suddenly they paused. Jacob felt a shiver run up his spine, making him still. The rest of the pack felt it too. Someone _else_ was there.

The fighting around them ceased as the vampires from both sides realized that they were suddenly not alone on the icy tundra. One by one, each of the wolves stilled. They all turned to watch, their hackles rising up and growls echoing from their chests.

Bella took Edward's lapse in concentration and leaped at Jane like a bullet. The two rolled again, a blur of white skin and bared teeth. Jacob and Edward both tried again unsuccessfully to intercede, but the years hatred for each other did nothing to cease their fire. Jacob winced as he heard vampire nails scratching against vampire skin….it was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

Jane suddenly stopped and froze, holding Bella beneath her in an iron grip. Bella growled and spat at Jane in a menacing manner, struggling beneath her. Jane's hands suddenly shook and she jumped up, freeing Bella. Edward rushed over, yanking his mate away from the tiny, evil vampire. Jane looked back at the horizon, her red eyes red with terror. Jacob was about to investigate when he heard hissing coming from Edward.

"He's escaping!" Edward boomed, his golden eyes wild. Jacob watched as a pair of newborns tore away from the paused fight….towards the house. A few seconds later, he saw Damon follow.

He was about to run after them, but made the mistake of glancing back to see what had gotten Jane so terrified. His stomach sank to his paws when he saw what it was.

The five of them travelled across the snow, quickly and with purpose. The Volturi.

Jacob looked between the oncoming visitors and the direction of the Denali house where Renesmee waited, and made his decision.

The Cullens would have to deal with the Volturi themselves. He had to go protect Renesmee.

He gave Edward one last pleading look, and Edward nodded quickly. "Go," he agreed, nodding at him.

Jacob tore off toward the house in pursuit of the group that he had decided right then and there _needed to die._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee watched as Collin stood up suddenly, growling.

"What is it?" she asked, jumping up. She held her breath, watching…waiting. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Collin looked up at her, then over at Estrella, a whine escaping his throat.

"Collin? Collin, answer me!...Is…Is someone in trouble?" She asked frantically.

They were standing out on the patio, watching the woods in the direction of the battle. The action was too far away to possibly hear anything, but that didn't stop Renesmee from coming outside to stand with Collin.

Nahuel jumped up, walking over to stand by her side. The morning sunlight shone on his skin, making him shimmer subtly. Estrella and Isadora both stood on either side of him, staring out across the lawn. Collin growled, his hackles rising up.

She felt helpless.

"What is it?" Nahuel asked him. Collin looked out at the lawn, and suddenly tore away from the patio. He slid to a halt in the lawn, crouched into a battle stance and growling. He barked and spit, swishing his tail anxiously as if he was talking to someone.

Then, she saw it.

She sucked in a breath as she saw not one but two vampires emerge from the trees, the skin sparkling tauntingly as their bodies were exposed to the sun. It was a man and a woman, or at least that's what they used to be. Their eyes glowed red and their skin was a stark white, making them appear more like monsters than ever. Their eyes were empty; tortured, emotionless, and guarded. They showed no remorse, no fear, and no reservations as they stalked onto the lawn. Nahuel stood protectively in front of the three of them, waiting. Their hearts all raced as they waited there, watching Collin on the lawn in front of them.

"What will he do?" Isadora panicked.

"Shh…" Nahuel whispered, signaling for her to keep quiet.

"Do you want to go, or should I?" The man asked flatly, looking at his partner. She smiled, letting the sunlight hit her glittering teeth.

"I want the others. You can have the dog," she said in the same emotionless tone. He nodded, and Renesmee gasped. It all happened so fast after that.

The male lunged at Collin, who met him with a snarl. She watched in complete horror as the vampire rolled on the ground with him, each one snapping their teeth and swiping at each other. The female ran at top speed towards the house, and towards them.

"Stay back!" Nahuel warned, his lips pulling back from his teeth. Renesmee tried to calm herself as the female rushed them, obviously not aware of what they were.

_She thinks we're humans!_ Renesmee realized, recognizing the thirsty glint in her eyes.

Nahuel was not one to be underestimated. When she was close enough, he grabbed her arm and swung her around, using her own force and speed against her. He let her go, sending her crashing into the side of the house. She screeched in disgust and pain as her body collided with the stones of the lower half of the house, making her own skin crack and crumble a bit. Renesmee watched in fascination as it healed itself almost magically.

"We're not food. You will die if you attack," Nahuel warned, crouching down. Estrella growled, and both she and Isadora did the same.

"Three against one isn't fair, but I'll still take it," the vampire hissed, slapping her teeth at them. Nahuel growled in warning, but she still continued to stalk closer on the patio.

Renesmee looked worriedly back at Collin, who was still circling the male on the lawn. They were both still in one piece, as they waited for the other to attack first. She looked between the two of them, unsure of what she should do. _Who should she help?_

Her mind whirred as she tried to concentrate. If there were two of them there at the house, and no signs of help were coming, that couldn't mean good things were happening on the battlefield. She felt her stomach lurch in anxiousness as she tried to decide what to do.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard another growl coming from Collin as he lunged at the male. At the same second, the female lunged for Nahuel, sending them crashing into one of the sidewalls of the patio. Nahuel cried out in pain as the impact hit him, making several of his bones crunch under the force. Isadora and Estrella both screamed and rushed to his defense, yanking at the arms of the snarling woman.

"Pull! Pull!" he urged through clenched teeth. The vampire hissed as the two women held onto her arms, making her even more enraged as she fought against them. Her strength was too much for them to hold, and within seconds she ripped herself away, sending them both to the ground.

She hissed again as Estrella leaped up, her long legs propelling her towards the vampire. They collided with a crash and began to roll on the snowy ground. Renesmee dashed to her side without thinking. She had to help her friend.

She let her most ferocious snarl rip from her mouth as she pounced on the back of the woman, gripping her head. Even with all her strength, Renesmee couldn't hold her for long. She watched in horror as the vampire attacked Estrella, sinking her teeth into the young girl's arm. Estrella howled in pain, letting her arms fall slack around the woman. The cry from the hybrid girl was eardrum shattering and laced with immense pain. It made Renesmee see red.

"Renesmee, no!" Nahuel called, struggling to stand. Renesmee ignored him, still clinging to the woman's back as she fought to dislodge her.

"Nessie!" Isadora called, sliding over to her. Isadora growled in the vampire's face before reaching over and yanking hard. She jerked with all her strength, pulling her up off the ground. Estrella lay on the ground moaning and gripping her hurt arm, while Nahuel limped up to try to help his sister. Together, the two of them managed to rip one of the vampire's arms from her body. She yelped and whipped around, snapping her teeth in anger.

"Get her other arm!" Renesmee yelled, her grip on the woman's torso slipping.

The woman's remaining arm flew back and hit Renesmee's stomach, sending her flying backwards.

"Ah!" she gasped as her torso slid in the icy snow.

She doubled over in pain at the force, trying to catch her breath. She watched in horror as the woman ripped herself away from Isadora almost effortlessly and leaped onto the lower roof of the house to recover from the loss of her arm.

"Renesmee, are you alright?" Nahuel asked, limping over to her. She shook her head and motioned for him to wait for her to get her breath back. She gasped and winced, trying to take deep breaths. She had never been struck by vampire before, and frankly…it _hurt._

Coughing in pain, she looked up to see Collin still snarling and snapping as he rolled on the snowy lawn with the male. It wasn't looking good. Collin cowered as the male paced around him, circling him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and she watched as the vampire suddenly looked to the side at the four of them, lying injured on the patio. He looked back at Collin, as if to challenge him. He had seen the four weaker creatures, and he was about to attack.

When he stepped to move, she gasped as Collin leaped up, snarling as his feet churned beneath him and kicking up the snow. He grasped the male by the torso and bit down, eliciting a bone chilling scream from the wild creature. Renesmee realized that Collin was bluffing when he had acted like he was hurt; he had really just waited until the vampire was distracted before striking.

She held her stomach and had to look away as Collin separated the upper and lower half of his body, sending the pieces of the newborn crumbling to the ground with an awful noise. He shredded the pieces with his razor sharp teeth while the female on the roof began to scream. She reached up, grabbed one of the beams of the second story and yanked, ripping away a large chunk of the wall in her fury.

"Collin!" Estrella screamed, just as the large chunk of wood was hurled at her.

Estrella leaped out of the way, but was still hit with several large chunks of wood. Renesmee winced as Estrella cried out in pain. Collin seemed to lose all conscious thought as he raced to the patio and began to pace below where the angry female vampire stood, taunting him.

She screamed and hissed at him, daring him to come up and fight her. Renesmee struggled to stand and go to her friends as she kept an eye on the monster on the roof. She shivered as she finally got to Nahuel and his sisters.

"Collin, we need help!" Nahuel called to the wolf standing not far from them. Collin looked over at him briefly, but it was obvious that the one armed, female vampire on the wolf was his main concern.

Renesmee turned her head as she heard footsteps approaching.

_Please be my dad…or Jasper…or Emmett…_ she thought frantically to herself as she helped Estrella stand. She winced as she looked down at her arm.

"It burns…" Estrella whimpered, her ocean green eyes filling with tears. Renesmee nodded, and Nahuel managed to limp over. His eyes scanned the bite on her arm that the female had given her, and he winced.

"I have to suck the venom out," he said to Renesmee. He repeated the same thing to Estrella in her native language, and she nodded quickly.

"Go," she urged, holding up her arm. He bent down and sucked at his sister's arm, and she squeezed her eyes shut it agony. A soft cry fell from her lips as he tried to help her. Renesmee held her as she looked nervously at the woods.

"We've got company," she repeated as the footsteps grew louder.

Collin snarled at the female vampire, who was now retreating back into the Denali house. They heard a large crash, and all of a sudden the side of the house erupted into flames.

Renesmee's head jerked back as she realized that the vampire had set the house on fire to distract them. She helped Nahuel and Isadora limp out onto the lawn as he finished sucking the vampire venom out of Estrella's arm.

"The house!" Isadora cried, her eyes following the flames as she watched them grow.

Suddenly, their attention was drawn back to the lawn as the footsteps grew louder. Whatever was, it was coming fast.

Renesmee let out a cry as Damon appeared on the lawn, his skin glittering in the morning sunlight. His eyes shone red with fresh blood, and just the sight of him sent chills down her spine. By now, she knew that Damon was no novice fighter, and they were practically utterly defenseless against him. She knew her tricks would not work on him twice.

As if he read her mind, he smiled evilly. Even from over a hundred yards away, it gave her chills.

"We meet again," he called out in a sinister voice. Nahuel and Isadora both jerked their heads up at the sound of his voice. Estrella was gasping for air and her eyes rolled back in her head as she struggled to fight the vampire venom. She did not look like she was doing well versus the bite she had just gotten. Renesmee sucked in a nervous breath. She stood tall and squared her shoulders, trying her best to appear menacing. There was little hope left now, and she didn't know what else to do. They were on their own – no one was coming to save them.

"Leave us alone, Damon. If they find you here, they'll kill you!" she called out in a firm voice.

Damon laughed, appearing even closer to them. Isadora jumped, her brown eyes wide.

"That's where you're wrong, Renesmee," he growled in a sinister voice. "You see, you're all alone, and…I wouldn't count on anyone to come and save you now," he said.

She whimpered before she could gain control of herself. What had happened on the battlefield? Her mind raced wildly as she tried to remain calm and not panic. Panicking would not help her in a situation like this.

"Well I see we have quite a collection here. I'm sure Aro will find this very interesting. Almost like a….half breed buffet, if I do say so."

"You leave us alone!" Nahuel growled. "You'll never turn us over to Aro. We answer to no one."

Damon smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah, we'll see about that. I don't know Aro well, but I'm pretty sure he'll want to add you to his collection."

"I'll die before that happens," Renesmee snarled in her most intimidating voice. Damon laughed evilly.

"You just might," he said matter-of-factly.

"He knows she can breed. Aro will definitely want to know more about that. Why do you think he wanted you all so badly?"

"You lied to me!" Renesmee gasped. "It is true then! You lied about me being like a mule!"

"I said what I had to say," Damon growled. "He'll want all of you now, that's for sure. And I intend to give Aro what he wants."

"Never," Nahuel spat. He knew enough about Aro and his love for collecting things to stay under his radar for the past century and a half.

Damon began to stalk towards them, taking Nahuel's words as a challenge. "Too bad you don't have a choice.." he growled as he began to race towards them.

Renesmee took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew that there was no hope left.

Suddenly an earsplitting scream pierced the air. Her eyes flew open as she saw a blur of reddish, russet colored fur come streaking through the air and collide with Damon, causing them to roll. She could hear Jacob's jaws snapping together as he fought Damon.

"Oh my god," she whimpered, jumping to her feet. She stood with her hands over her mouth as she watched Jacob spar with Damon. Her worst nightmare was finally coming true.

"Renesmee, get back!" Nahuel warned, grabbing her arm. She watched in horror as the female vampire from the roof leaped from the burning house, landing on the lawn next to Damon and Jacob.

_She's going to help Damon fight Jacob_! Renesmee realized. She gasped as the female took her remaining arm and pummeled Jacob's side with all her might. Jacob yipped in pain, stumbling to the side. Damon jumped up, sneering at him.

"Not to big without your pack of wild dogs, are you?" he hissed. Jacob slapped his teeth together, lowering himself into a crouch. Renesmee watched as the two vampires stared at him, completely oblivious to Collin, who was stalking them from behind. Then, like a lightning bolt, the wolf lunged at Damon, tackling him to the ground. Jacob took the opportunity to lunge at the already injured female again, taking her down. They rolled several times, and she strained to keep track of who was who as they moved so fast they became a blur.

"Renesmee, we have to get out of here!" Nahuel urged, picking up his sister. Estrella's eyes rolled back into her head as she shook and gasped for air.

"I won't leave Jacob!" She insisted, her eyes tearing up. _Where were the others? They desperately needed help…_

Suddenly another howl filled the air. She looked over just in time to see the woman grab one of Jacob's front legs and squeeze. Her stomach lurched again as her adrenaline kicked in.

Jacob was hurt. Without thinking, Renesmee ran.

It hurt her already bruised body as she collided with the vampire again, tackling her to the ground. With all her strength, she began to fight for her life. _And_ for Jacob's. Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that he was lying on the ground in human form, groaning and rolling in pain. She would have to end this woman, or she would attack Jacob in his weakened state. He wouldn't live to survive that.

She struggled against the strength of the one armed vampire, trying to get behind her. She was injured, but far from useless. Renesmee felt her strength coming back to her as she fought for their lives. All of the turmoil from the last few months came raging forward, giving her the last rush of force that she needed to grip the neck of the vampire in front of her. Concentrating briefly, she let all the anger and fear boil up to the surface and channel through her hands. The woman shrieked in fear as Renesmee opened her connection and stunned her with the most vicious thoughts she could muster.

"End her!" Jacob coughed from the ground. He groaned and held his arm where he had been hit, and Renesmee felt an anger seethe through insides that she had never felt before.

"Do it now Nessie! I know you can! Do it! End her!" Jacob coughed through his pain.

She grunted and twisted with all her might, clenching her teeth together in sheer determination. Her stomach lurched with a mixture of disgust and dominance as the noise of a vampire being beheaded rang in the air. With a horrified gasp, she tossed the head away, already sickened by what she had done. But that didn't matter now.

Damon looked up at the headless body of the newborn underneath her, and Collin took advantage of his lapse in concentration. He grabbed Damon's leg and ripped, causing him to fall back and scream in agony. Collin spat it out on the ground next to him as Damon howled at the loss of his leg. Nahuel raced over and grabbed Damon's shoulders, holding him down. Collin reached down and stepped a huge paw on his chest, and together the two were able to hold him.

Renesmee got up off the woman's headless body and sped over to Jacob's side. Her knees hit the snow as she slid quickly to kneel beside him. He lay on the ground, naked and writhing in pain as his broken arm healed.

"They'll be here soon, Ness," he gasped, holding his arm against his chest. "The Volturi are here. They'll be here soon," he repeated as he winced in pain. Beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face as his body went into a painful shock.

She looked up at the edge of the yard, still seeing no one. The Volturi were here? That was not good news.

"What did they want?" she asked. "How many?"

"Five," he coughed, rolling onto his side. She reached for his hand and held it tight, unsure of what to do to sooth him. Looking to the side, she saw Isadora kneeling next to Estrella on the patio, trying to help her sister.

"Estrella's been bit. We need help!" she said. Jacob nodded, biting his lip.

"Collin knows. I already told him to call for help," he managed to say. "Ness…."

"What is it? What, Jake?" she asked, her eyes welling up with tears. She had never seen her Jacob in such pain. He looked so weak and fragile that it made her want to collapse.

_Be strong for Jake_, she told herself. _He needs you right now_. _This is no time to act like a baby. _

She heard a growl from Collin as he still held Damon to the ground. His head stayed turned towards Damon, but she watched as his eyes shifted to the edge of the yard.

They were no longer alone.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well, what did you think? First battle scene I've ever written…and the last. Lol. That was stressful to write! We learn about more casualties in the next chapter unfortunately, as they were not all mentioned here. I really struggled with this, so I would really appreciate some thoughts. I tried to make it action packed and interesting, so I hope you enjoyed it.

I also had a lot of mixed hopes for the battle. Some of you wanted a lot of people to get killed/hurt, and some of you threatened me (lol, jk) if I did hurt or kill people. However, I really wanted to make things realistic. Keep in mind, we 'left' the Cullens on the tundra with Jane and the Volturi, and the scene isn't over with yet. I had to cut it because it was getting out of control long : )


	41. Truth and Consequence

All the lives always tempted to trade

Will they hate me for all the choices I've made

Tear me down they can take you out of my thoughts

Under every scar there's a battle I've lost

Will they stop when they see us again?

I can't stop now I know who I am

Now I'm all yours, I'm not afraid

I'm yours always say what they may

And all your love I'll take to a grave

And all my life starts now

Metric – Eclipse (All Yours)

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They were no longer alone in the yard.

The mid-morning sunlight shone down on the snowy field, surrounding the horrific scene around them with a bright light. Her breath came out in white puffs of clouds as she breathed in a few panicked breaths and huffed them out. Her heart raced even faster as she realized what the Volturi's imminent arrival meant. They would undoubtedly be interested in her once more. _But what would the price be for them to leave her family alone again?_

Renesmee was smart enough to know that the Volturi weren't exactly forgiving – second chances were rare.

She moved so that Jacob's head was in her lap as she huddled next to him in the snow, trying her best to stay calm for him. The newborns were dead, or at least the ones in the yard were. What had happened out there on the tundra? She had saved Jacob from the female's attack, but just barely.

Down on the ground, Jacob coughed and sputtered in agony. He shifted, his body trembling in pain as a cold sweat began to break out along his hairline. The beads of warm liquid poured down the side of his face as she watched him suffer. His normally beautiful toffee colored skin was suddenly looked pale and bleached; she had never seen him look this way in over seven years. He was in _pain._

_Hold on,_ she willed him with her hand on his cheek. _I'll get help soon…hold on Jake…._

Her hand trembled as she pulled it away from his face. Looking up, she met eyes with Collin, who still held a struggling Damon to the ground. They shared a meaningful look; _that was close._

But it wasn't over yet.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she bent her head down against Jacob's. "Someone's coming. Jake…Jake…what do I do?" she whispered. His brown eyes were bloodshot with pain and anguish as he moved them slowly up to meet hers. The empty look in them told her the answer.

There was nothing to do.

The footsteps grew closer, and it became apparent that there were more than just the five she'd expected from the Volturi. Had they brought the remaining newborns with them? Was her family dead already?

Her questions were answered within a few of her thrumming heartbeats. One by one they ripped through the frozen trees that lined the yard, and she counted with baited breath. _Dad…Mom…Rose...Emmett….wait…Alice and Jasper!_ Her mind screamed at her. The remaining family members materialized beside her and Jake. Then Denali clan and Stefan appeared as well, bringing with them five people she recognized without a doubt. The rest of Jacob's pack followed, crashing through the trees and landing with a skid on the snowy ground.

"Renesmee!" Bella cried, running over to her daughter. Bella slid to her knees beside her daughter on the snow and embraced her. The rest of her family soon appeared next to her. She watched as Collin and Nahuel let go of Damon, returning to stand with the Cullens.

"Mom!" Renesmee gasped, clutching onto Bella and Edward, who were the first to embrace her. "Mom," she sobbed, her voice trembling with tears as she took in the appearance of her mother. Bella had deep claw marks all the way down her neck underneath her ear, and Renesmee could see where a small chunk of hair had been yanked from Bella's head.

"We're here," Bella panted urgently, grasping her daughter. "And we're alive," she assured her, holding her daughter's face between her hands. Her golden eyes moved to Jacob who was still on the ground breathing heavily from the pain, trying to keep it together.

"Jacob, you're hurt!" Bella gasped. Edward knelt on the other side of him after hugging his daughter.

"Bells…it's...not that bad," Jacob insisted, wincing with each syllable. "Brady…he's…he's bad," Jacob coughed.

Renesmee felt her heart jump into her throat. Brady had been hurt? A lump formed in her throat as she looked at her parents. Edward was still on the ground next to Jacob, his eyes scanning up and down Jacob's body. She knew that he was using his medical knowledge to note his wounds.

"Get Brady…help," Jacob coughed, wincing and grabbing his broken arm closer to his chest.

"He's not alone…" Edward murmured quietly, his eyes flicking up to meet Renesmee's.

"Oh my god…Mom…Alice? Jasper?" Renesmee questioned frantically, her eyes searching her mother's. If something terrible had happened to either one of them she would never forgive herself.

Bella swallowed hard, nodding her head. "Jasper…was hurt. He's okay. Alice is with him. He…needed to heal before making the trip back. And…Carmen and Tanya…are hurt too," Bella whispered, hugging her tightly again. "I don't know if Brady will make it," she whispered.

She gasped, a sob escaping her lips. People had been hurt. Her _family_ had been hurt.

Over Bella's shoulder, Renesmee spied Stefan, who was standing beside Garrett, still looking confused and horrified. _He made it,_ Renesmee thought with relief. Her sensitive eyes took in the scratches and cracks that lined his pale skin; he had put up a good fight against something, that she was sure of.

Bella let her go, and both women looked to the edge of the large, snowy lawn to where their five visitors stood.

Jane flew to Damon, grabbing his leg and jamming it against his body to reattach it. Renesmee watched with sheer fascination as the skin that was visible through his torn pants allowed her to watch as his flesh quickly bonded together with the severed limb, healing him. Jane hissed and pulled him up to stand, taking her place beside him. Her blonde hair had been ripped from its tight bun and hung in strings down her back. She could see deep claw marks similar to Bella's trailing down both of her arms. Renesmee took in the new gashes that lined the side of her mother's flawless face - could it be? _Had Bella and Jane actually fought_?

Damon limped up with a hiss, surveying the area around him. He was obviously displeased that they had lost.

_They deserve each other,_ Renesmee thought with a growl. Edward looked at her sideways, as if to warn her to calm herself. She ran her hands across Jacob's chest as he continued to suffer, hoping to calm him at least a little. His pack mates surrounded them, concerned for their Alpha.

"Jacob…I can fix this," Edward said in a hushed tone. He glanced over his shoulder as the Volturi floated closer. "Just brace yourself, okay? Your arm is broken. If I fix it now…you'll be alright."

Renesmee held Jacob's head as he nodded, gritting his teeth together. She looked away when she heard a snap paired with the sound of Jacob's teeth grinding against each other. Her eyes moved back to his naked body as he laid in agony on the snow, trying not to show how much pain he was in.

_It's okay_, she said with her gift, pressing her palm against his cheek. She showed him an image of how brave he had been to fight the newborns for her. His brown eyes flicked up to meet hers as the beads of sweat rolled down his temples and into the snow.

She was so busy watching her father try to help Jake that she had almost forgotten about the five visitors who now stood just a few yards away from them. The hairs on her arms stood up as she heard a familiar voice begin to speak.

"Now that we're all together, I assume now I can have the entire chain of events explained to me?" Aro said his tone inquiring and polite. She had a feeling that his amicable tone was anything but sincere.

"Yes Aro, we can continue now," her father said, still crouched over Jacob. He pinched the bridge of his nose, standing up quickly. He walked out in front of the group, acting as the leader.

Renesmee trembled slightly as she saw the faces of the Volturi that stood in the lawn in front of her. Marcus, Aro, Renata, Felix, and Demitri stood in a line, with Jane and Damon off to the side, waiting expectantly. Aro stared at the group before him, his red eyes glittering. He was silent for a few moments, but then quickly turned to Damon and Jane.

"Jane...my pet…it seems you have been busy in your…absence," he said, articulating the last word.

Jane's child-like face was like marble as she stared back at him. Her eyes slowly shifted over to Renesmee, then to Bella.

"I have," she finally said, her tone chilling and icy cold. Renesmee frowned as she realized that Jane's tone was almost…defiant.

"What is the meaning of all this? You know I do not take kindly to creating groups of our kind, little one," Aro reminded her politely. Jane stuck her jaw out further, as if to challenge him.

"I trained them well," she insisted. Renata hovered closer to Aro, but he held up his hand.

"No need, my dear," he said over his shoulder to her. "Jane and I are just talking. We are family," he said slowly.

"It was my idea," Damon spoke up. He stepped forward, wincing on the leg the Jane had just repaired.

She heard Stefan suck in a breath, moving forward. Garrett and Eleazar grabbed each of his arms, warning him to stay back. This was clearly a conversation that was between Aro and Damon.

Aro's eyebrows rose as he took in this new information. "You, young child? You created this army? And for what purpose?"

Damon glanced at Renesmee and Jacob, who were still on the snowy ground. Then, he looked at his brother.

"I...wanted to bring you the half breed. I thought the…wolf would be an added token to express my loyalty to the Volturi."

Edward snarled as he read Aro's thoughts. "So you did want her? You put a price out on my daughter's head!"

Aro looked at him, completely aghast. "Edward…you must understand that dear Renesmee is a novelty…or so we thought," he added, looking with interest at the group of three hybrids who still were on the patio. Both were crouched protectively over Estrella, who was still fighting the effects of the vampire venom.

_Hold on Estrella…hold on… _Renesmee chanted in her mind, willing the poor girl to have the strength she needed to keep fighting. She had no idea how vampire venom would react with a hybrid's body, but so far, Estrella did not look good.

"You must understand, dear Edward. The Volturi exist to protect, serve, and research our kind. I would not be fulfilling my obligations to our people if I didn't fully understand the hybrids. What if they are a danger in regards to exposing us?"

"That was laid to rest years ago. You do this to torture us," Edward spat.

"Edward…no," Bella said, grabbing his arm. He looked back at her, his golden eyes wild with hate and anger. Renesmee swallowed hard as she mindlessly stroked the side of Jacob's face. Aro still wanted her.

"Over my...dead...body," Jacob whispered, still wincing in pain. She smiled down at him, her expression pained.

"Shh," she whispered, looking back up.

"That can be arranged," Jane growled, her upper lip curling slightly. Renesmee's head shop up as the cradled Jacob's head in her hands. She met the hostile girl's gaze, and made a silent vow to herself that if she ever got her hands on Jane, it would be war. Vampire or not, she knew now that she drew strength from the need to protect the ones she loved.

"Calm yourself," Aro said in bored voice, looking briefly over to Jane.

_Did he ever get worked up?_ Renesmee thought.

"And tell me…if you did want to bring me the girl, what was the use of the army?" Aro continued, his gaze shifting back from Edward to Damon. Damon's eyes scanned the people in front of him as he carefully contemplated his next answer.

"They were to…distract the Cullens while I took their daughter," he admitted. "They were created as pawns."

Her stomach twisted as she thought about all the lives that had been lost when innocent people had been turned into killing machines for their sick cause. Innocent people had been changed and then killed.

Renesmee watched as Jane's jaw clenched tightly. A look of distaste crossed Aro's face, and Damon reacted quickly.

"I was willing to do anything it took to prove myself," he said firmly. Aro paused, thinking.

"While I admit that I'm…flattered that you were so adamant about expressing your devotion to our coven, I'm a bit…bothered that you felt it gave you excuse to bend the rules."

"But-"

"First thing's first, Damon. We hold the rules in high respect."

"I was unaware of the rules," Damon bluffed.

_Lie!_ Renesmee screamed in her head. She knew that Eleazar had taught Damon and Stefan both the few rules about vampire life. That was the entire way he knew of the Volturi's existence in the first place.

"Is this true, Jane?" Aro asked. She nodded, her eyes shifting to Bella. Bella growled in warning, and the two vampires held each other's stare.

"I know you've harbored…certain feelings towards the Cullens in the past, my pet," he said in a condescending tone. Jane's eyes flicked back to him.

"Yes, master," she replied shortly.

"I do not deny that I wish to study the hybrid girl further," he said. "However…" he trailed off.

Edward shifted in the snow. "You're right," he warned. Renesmee wondered what Aro was thinking. _What did her father see in his mind?_

"Everything you're thinking, Aro. You're right. It would not go ignored. You would have open war. Is that something you want to risk?" Edward growled. "I do not need my sister to tell me that it would end badly."

Aro's face was drawn as he stared at her father. It clicked in her mind as the pieces came together. Aro knew that taking one of the hybrids back to Volterra to keep for his collection would mean a war to get them back, and it was nor a war that he could easily win anymore. The fact that he was unsure about going to war with the Cullens and their friends was written all over his marble face.

Damon noticed that he was losing his cause.

"I only wanted to please you," Damon offered. "I only wanted to be with you and your guard!"

Jane looked at Damon, then back at her master. Aro stared at him, his red eyes sparkling. Then, he beckoned Damon towards him.

"Come, child," he purred as Damon obediently walked forward. Damon appeared somewhat frightened as Aro yanked him forward once he was close enough, placing Damon's pale hand in his own.

Renesmee observed as Aro used his gift to scan Damon's thoughts. He finally dropped it after a few moments, looking amused.

"So you think the girl can breed," he said, his eyes drifting towards Renesmee. She stiffened as Edward stepped in front of her with a growl.

"That is none of your concern," he said, his tone low and serious.

"I know it to be true," Damon said. He looked at Jacob, still coughing and writhing on the ground. "I know because of the dog's natural selection of her."

"How do you mean?" Aro asked.

Damon glanced at Renesmee, his eyes lighting up at Aro having taken an interest in him.

"The dog wouldn't have selected her as a mate if she was infertile. I knew this would interest you…master," Damon added, raising an eyebrow at Aro.

"You bring up a good point. You knew I would be concerned with her ability to reproduce. Yes…that is something we did not foresee when she was young. How can you be sure that she is in fact fertile?"

Renesmee's mind raced. _Damon had lied to her about being infertile. He had figured out that Jacob wouldn't have imprinted on her unless she was able to have children._ What did this mean for her?

"The mutt always selects the perfect bitch for breeding," Damon sneered, locking eyes with Renesmee. She growled in response, her face quickly darkening into a threatening scowl.

"Don't…listen to him...N-Ness," Jacob panted from the ground, still gripping his broken arm. It was mending, but not quickly like his usually scrapes and bruises. "That's..not why," he groaned as he clutched his healing arm. Renesmee broke Damon's gaze and looked down, cupping his chin with her hand. His own clammy palm covered hers, and they gripped each other tightly as she continued to hold him.

"Interesting, as always Renesmee," Aro murmured.

"I thought you would want to know! I tried to get her for you, I tried…"

Aro held up his hand, silencing him.

"You will not take our daughter," Edward snarled. "She will not sit on your shelf in Volterra like a trophy. She is a living thing!"

"I never said that, Edward. Please…at least let her come with us and let us explore her options," he said smoothly. Felix stepped forward, as if he was ready to pounce. Aro held up his hand, and Felix backed up with a grunt.

Renesmee gripped Jacob's hand as her family members tightened around her. She knew that if they tried to take her, it wouldn't happen easily.

"You know that will never happen. She will never go willingly, and we will never_ let_ her go willingly. You will lose this fight again," Bella spoke up. Jane hissed under her breath as her attention was drawn back to her enemy.

"I do not argue," Aro answered politically to her. "However, I do need to ensure that the hybrids are not a threat to our kind.'

"You know as well as I do that they certainly are not!" Edward growled. Aro eyed him and the two seemed to share a private exchange. Renesmee felt a chill run down her spine.

"I don't want to go," She whimpered. "I'm not going to do it!"

Aro looked at her, his gaze piercing. "You make hasty decisions, young child."

Renesmee stood, trembling as she stepped over Jacob and closer to Aro. Edward moved to stand beside his daughter as she confronted the leader of the Volturi.

"I won't go and act as an experiment. I'm not going to hurt anyone, and if I ever did…have a child, it would be even more human than I am. I've never fed from a human, or even come close," she said. Stepping closer, she tried not to visibly shake with fear as she held out her palm to him.

Aro stared at her white hand, and then his eyes flicked up to meet hers. "You willingly offer your mind to me?" He asked.

"You don't have to do this Renesmee," Edward said quietly. She ignored him. It was now or never, and now was no time to be a coward.

She swallowed, trying to keep her composure. "If you will leave us alone, then…y-yes," she said shakily.

He placed his hand delicately on top of hers, and she felt a strange mist settle over her mind. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her entire life. Every thought, every memory, ever picture she had shown with her gift, every private notion and every errant thought she had ever had was laid out for him to see. Her cheeks grew crimson as she realized that he could undoubtedly see what some of her most private thoughts about Stefan and Jacob had been. Every moment with Damon, every drunken thought she had had while with him…he could see it all.

He lifted his hand from hers, making the strange mist that had taken over her mind lift suddenly. She stumbled in shock, trying to re-focus after Aro had purged her mind.

"You were being honest. You indeed aren't a danger…but…still...you're a hybrid that can breed. The possibilities of the race you can produce would be endless."

"It will never happen" Renesmee heard herself say. "I won't go." Her hands began to tremble at her sides as she met and locked eyes with the powerful vampire before her.

Edward moved forward as Marcus suddenly moved towards his brother.

"What are your thoughts, dear brother?" Aro asked. Marcus's milky red eyes fell upon Renesmee, and then slowly shifted to Jacob who was still on the ground, fighting to sit up.

"The bond between them is too tightly bound, Aro. She would not choose another," he slowly grunted. Aro turned back towards her and frowned, obviously upset by this news.

"Give it up," Edward said, pulling Renesmee behind him. "She'll never go with you."

Aro's eyes scanned the crowd before him of vampires and werewolves, surveying his chances.

"Only more would come to our aid. You would not succeed," Edward warned him again, answering something in his unspoken thoughts.

Aro was silent for a moment before finally sighing in defeat. "I do not wish to start a war with you, dear Cullens," he replied, holding up his hands. "I only wished to further the existence of our kind. However, your refusal to give up your dear Renesmee leaves me no other choice. I must return home empty handed once again."

Edward stood still, still scanning Aro's mind for a lie. When he was satisfied, he nodded, and pulled his daughter back towards the rest of the family.

"What of Damon?" Jane asked in a flat tone. Aro turned his attention back to where she stood waiting with Damon. He pursed his lips as he gazed at them.

"I'm not happy with what you have done. Normally…something like this would mean a sentence to death."

Jane's red eyes widened, as did Damon's. They looked at each other in disbelief, both of them looking speechless.

"No!"

A single cry rang out through the silence, making everyone turn to look. Stefan bolted to the front of the line, standing between his brother and Aro.

"Do you have something to say, young child?" Aro asked, raising a dark eyebrow. Stefan looked at Damon, his expression unreadable.

"I beg you…please…don't kill him. Take him with you if you must, but…but please…don't kill him!" Stefan begged.

Damon looked shocked.

_He should be,_ Renesmee thought_. After everything he's done…._

Stefan looked desperately at Marcus. "Please," he said, walking up to the vampire. "Please…you understand how it is to have a brother that is also doomed to this life. Please don't take him from me. He's all I have," Stefan pleaded.

Marcus's milky eyes stared at Stefan, and then moved to look at Aro's. Aro nodded, and Marcus finally spoke.

"We shall take the boy to Volterra. He will serve as bait," Marcus said slowly. Jane looked at Damon in satisfaction.

Aro held up his hand. "This is not a job of great power, Damon. As a consequence for acting so irresponsibly with Jane, you are sentenced to be in charge of luring in…potential visitors," Aro sneered.

Damon's face was still as a stone as his sentence sunk in. He was basically to be their servant. He was to bring them their meals of human tourists on a hypothetical silver platter, and the disbelief and rage showed on his features. "Thank you…master," he said through clenched teeth.

"As for you, Jane," Aro said. "I am disappointed in you for acting so…irresponsibly," he said through clenched teeth as he looked around the yard. He paused on the pieces of newborn vampires that were strewn in the yard, the burning Denali house, and the injured hybrids.

"Master-"

Aro silenced her, holding up his hand. "Silence," he said. "I should have known you were up to something in your absence. You will go without meals for one month," he stated matter of factly.

Jane recoiled as if she had been slapped across the face. Renesmee smiled in satisfaction as she watched Jane's reaction of displeasure.

"We will go now," he stated. "And rest assured, Damon will be safe with us," he said to Stefan. He motioned towards the two of them, and they walked over to stand with the rest of the Volturi.

Renesmee held her breath and gripped her father's arm as she watched Damon join them. He gave her a glare as he stood beside Jane, obviously displeased with his job assignment. Renesmee returned his glower, showing her confidence. She was done letting people control her, especially people like Damon.

"Renesmee, please remember that you're always welcome with us if things…turn out badly," he finished, glancing at Jacob. He growled up at him from the ground, the sound rumbling in his chest as he stared Aro down.

When his offer went unanswered, he nodded. "For now, then," he said in a flat tone. He motioned to his guard, and as swiftly as they had come, they were gone.

Everyone stood still for a few seconds, watching and waiting. Renesmee continued to grip her father's arm. "Are…are they really gone?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Edward swept her into a tight, iron embrace and nodded. "Yes. They're gone," he answered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you," he said.

Renesmee felt tears welling up in her eyes. She never thought she would hear her father say that to her ever again after everything that had happened. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered.

They were soon joined by Bella, who hugged her even tighter. "I thought they'd never leave. I thought we were going to have to fight," she whimpered, digging her nose into Renesmee's hair.

She felt a warmth in the air beside her, and she turned around as her parents let her go. "Jacob," she whispered, her eyes wide. He was standing up, still clutching his healing arm, but he was alive. Alive and all hers.

He stood in the yard amidst the rest of her family but she could only see him. The sun shone down on his coppery skin that was still a bit white. The injury hadn't been easy on him, and he still looked like he was in pain.

Seth loped up to him, fastening his shorts. "Jake…we gotta go help Brady. Eleazar is coming back with us. Carmen and Tanya are still back there with him."

"Will they be healed by now?" Jacob asked. He hoped that the vampires would heal themselves by now, and possibly help Brady. The fiery tempered wolf had taken on more fighting than he could handle, and had been badly injured. Before he had been hurt himself and phased back, he had seen Brady's injuries. They were easily ten times worse than the ones he had gotten himself during the newborn wars.

Seth shrugged, his normally happy face drawn and pained. "He's not good. We need to go. You stay here and heal, but we have to go help Brady.

Jacob nodded, still wincing slightly from the movement. "You're right. Go. Tell him I'm sorry."

Seth followed the rest of the wolves, who were still in wolf form, into the trees to run to help Brady. Renesmee swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to put herself in the mindset that some of her friends and family might not have made it. It was the most crippling feeling in the world.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps again. Her head jerked up, along with everyone else's as they stared in the direction of the noise. The only sound was from the Denali house as Tanya and Eleazar worked to put it out. The flames crackled in the morning sunlight, the smell of burning wood permeating the air.

Then, when she thought her heart couldn't pound any faster, Alice and Jasper came loping through the trees. Jasper held onto Alice for support, as he was visibly limping.

"Alice!" Renesmee gasped, flying to the pixie vampire. Her aunt hugged her tightly, her marble arms holding her close.

"Sorry we're late…again," Alice replied sheepishly, rolling her golden eyes.

"We had an injury to tend to," Jasper added with a wince. Renesmee cringed as she realized his pants were torn where his leg had been ripped from his body; Alice must have re-attached it.

"Tanya and Carmen will be okay too…they're with Brady…and…I can't see," Alice mumbled, impatiently stomping her foot against the snow. She scratched her head and sighed in defeat, glancing back in the direction of the tundra.

Jacob nodded, his face falling as he stood there, still clutching his rapidly healing arm. His face was serious as he frowned, folding his legs underneath him on the ground. The guilt of Brady's injury was already upon him.

"Jasper, you're okay!" She breathed, hugging her uncle. Pressing her hand to his cheek, she sent a strong burst of love and relief to his tired looking face.

"The feeling is mutual," he said to the group.

"Are you alright Jacob?" Edward asked. He knelt to the ground next to Jacob. They had gotten him something to cover up with, and he was busy making sure his arm was healing correctly and not crooked.

Renesmee looked on as the scene around her unfolded. Her family members hugged and kissed; each pair rejoicing in their own way that they had made it through the morning alive. The morning sunlight shone down on them all as they made a pile to burn the newborn vampires that had been destroyed. A sickly-sweet smelling, purple smoke filled the air, clogging her nose with its pungent, disgusting aroma. She looked away as Emmett tossed the remaining arm of the woman into the fire.

The events that led her to that morning would be forever burned into her mind.

She walked over to where Nahuel was with Collin and Estrella. Her eyes bulged in disbelief when she realized that Collin was in human form, holding Estrella in his arms and watching Nahuel with stern glare as he attempted to suck the vampire venom out of her tan arm.

Edward appeared next to them and signaled to Nahuel when he thought she was clean. He turned and spit out her blood and the venom out onto the snow, wiping his mouth. Edward ran his nose down her arm and nodded up at him.

"She's clean. Come…let's go bandage this up. She should heal in a day or two," he said softly. He reached to take her from Collin, offering his iron arms. Collin pulled her closer to his chest, shaking his head 'no'. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and Edward held up his hands to signal to him that he wasn't trying to take his mate from him. As they walked inside, Renesmee saw the girl open her eyes once to look up at him in pure adoration.

She watched her father helping Jacob stand up again, and her heart swelled with the idea that they were finally going to start getting along again. Or at least she hoped that was the case.

Looking up, she felt an overwhelming surge of sadness as she looked at the severely burnt and still smoking Denali home. The entire back of the house had been lit on fire, and there was a gaping hole in the entire back part of the structure. Pieces of logs still smoked with smoldering flames, and it looked very sad and desolate.

She felt a pair of cold arms embrace her from behind. Her mom laid her head on her shoulder, pulling her daughter up against her body. "They can rebuild. We'll spend the rest of today and tomorrow helping them."

"I'm glad," she said.

"We'll help them and let Jacob mend…and then…I say we go home."

Renesmee smiled and leaned against her mother's stony body. "I say we go home, too."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They spent the next day and a half helping the Denali family strip away the burnt pieces of their home, and cleaning up the mess that the fire had caused. Jacob's arm had almost healed completely, although he still wore a bandage around it to keep it secure. Edward's medical training had come in handy for him, he had to admit. His arm was going to be just fine, thanks to him. Jasper, Carmen, and Tanya had each healed from their injuries as well.

_I blame myself for Brady…_she thought to herself. The wolf had suffered a horrible blow to his chest, making his ribs and breastplate shatter, and his lungs collapse. Jacob had barely left his side since they had brought him back to the house. Renesmee knew that as Alpha he felt like he had failed by letting one of his pack mates get injured to that extent, and she hadn't been able to convince him otherwise.

Estrella's arm closed up after the first day, leaving her with a large, crescent scar on her forearm. When she woke up later that night, Collin was by her side. He hadn't left it yet.

When he finally did leave Brady's side, Jacob stood in the doorway with satisfaction, watching as Collin finally accepted his imprint into his life. They were leaving to go home to Washington in the morning, and he knew that Collin had some discussing to do with Estrella. Jacob knew enough by now to realize that Collin wouldn't be able to survive long without her near him.

He felt a presence behind him, and he whipped around in surprise. A sheepish looking Rosalie stood there, wringing her hands together. "C-can I talk to you?" she asked quietly, her golden eyes shifting around on the floor. He nodded, motioning towards Eleazar's office where they would have some privacy.

Once inside, he crossed his arms and stared at the blonde vampire in front of him. Rosalie looked up at him briefly, then down at the floor. She walked over to Eleazar's desk and sat perched on the end.

"Do you have to cross your arms like that? I'm not here to lecture you," she said, her voice dripping with exasperation.

"That would be the first time," he muttered. She rolled her eyes and sighed, starting to fidget.

"Jacob….I…I…god, this is hard…"

"Spit it out, Blondie. What did I do this time that was so awful?"

She looked up, her eyes pleading. "Jacob, you didn't do anything wrong! In fact…you hardly do," she mumbled.

Jacob made a face. "What?" he asked in disbelief, uncrossing his arms. It wasn't like Rosalie to admit she was wrong.

"I…I'm hard on you, and...And you don't deserve it. At all. And…I'm sorry," she finished. Rosalie looked up at him, her eyes sad.

"You're…you're what?" he asked. He couldn't believe his ears.

"You heard me!" she practically shouted. She closed her mouth, embarrassed for her outburst. "You heard me. I said I was sorry. I'm sorry for pushing Renesmee to Stefan, I'm sorry for making such a mess, and…I'm sorry for being so hard on you."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because…I realize now that you're going to be around for awhile and…and I want my niece to have the happiness that I've found with Emmett."

"Well thanks to you I think she's pretty confused right now about what she wants."

"No, Jacob, she's not. She's chosen you, I know it."

"Not that Stefan guy? Because sometimes, I'm just not too sure. You've made a pretty big mess of everything."

They were both silent for a moment, scowling at each other accusingly. Suddenly, Rosalie's expression changed. It softened.

"I know I have. I said…I said what I meant to say," she replied. He knew that he had officially gotten as many apologies from Rosalie that he was ever going to get. It didn't take a genius to see that she wasn't going to say that to him ever again.

"So you really mean it?" he prodded.

"I do. I…I want her to have what I've had. I know that…I almost lost my chance at love, and the idea that I've done that to her is…devastating. I see that…that you're meant to be with her, and I would never want to take that away. I shouldn't have messed with the situation, and…and that's all," she finished shortly.

Jacob watched as she stood, turned, and vanished out the door. He snorted to himself in the empty office. "Well…never expected_ that_ one."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee shoved the rest of her clothes haphazardly into her suitcase. As much as she hated packing, she wasn't going to let it get to her today. For the first time in months, she actually felt safe. Nothing was coming, lurking, or plotting against her, and she finally felt like she didn't have to look over her shoulder constantly.

Stefan had come to her earlier as she was packing up her things to speak with her, after which they both said their peace to the other. Isadora was staying in Denali with him, and he was finally happy to not be alone and to have a companion. She had told him that he deserved happiness, and that she hoped they could be friends despite everything that had happened between them. To her relief, Stefan had agreed. Renesmee honestly didn't think he held a grudge against her; he realized she was young and stupid at the time, and she was elated to know that he had found happiness with Isadora.

She could tell that Jacob was relieved to finally have the battle over and done with as well. Pride surged in her chest as she realized that she had saved his life, as surprising as it was, and she knew she would enjoy knowing that for the rest of eternity. He had thanked her many times for coming to his rescue, but he had also claimed he had something else to tell her.

"_It's just important, Ness. I don't want to talk about it here. But I do need to talk to you about it. When we're home…just…I need to,"_ he had said. Jacob had made it sound like a pretty big deal, and she wondered what on earth he needed to say that sounded that serious. It would have to wait another day.

He had to go home to La Push first thing that morning – they needed Carlisle's help to hopefully mend Brady. Jacob still felt awful; he wanted to do his best to support Brady in his time of need.

The only wolf that stayed put was Collin. He wanted to stay with Estrella, who was still recovering from her bite from the newborn. Her skin was not healing well from the bite, and they were all worried about the long term effects of it. There was no way to know if they had gotten every ounce of the vampire venom out of her system, but they had done their best. She had been slowly recovering all day.

Her mind shifted to her mother. Sadly, the scratches down Bella's neck weren't healing well. The cuts were deep, and since they were done by another vampire they still weren't sure if they would ever go away. They would be even harder to explain. Her new bald spot behind her ear that Jane had given her would be easy enough to hide, but it would always be there as a reminder to Renesmee. Her mother had been willing to die for her, yet again.

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to relax and let herself have some peace.

Sitting down on her bed, she realized that the past few months had been tumultuous, but a learning experience. Renesmee wasn't proud of the mistakes she had made that had gotten her to this point, yet, she was more grateful for the people and relationships in her life now than she had ever been.

_It shouldn't have taken a near tragedy for me to realize what I could have lost_, she thought to herself.

By the time Bella came and got her to leave, she was ready. Denali had been an experience that she was happy to learn from and finally put behind her. But now, it was time to go home.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

She jumped slightly before settling back against his body. They stood on First Beach several days later at a bonfire thrown by Jacob's pack. All the wolves and their imprints were there, including both current wolves and retired ones, and had come to celebrate the pack's return to La Push.

"I'm fine," she said, letting her head fall back against his warm chest. He wrapped his arms around her, letting his head rest on top of hers.

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "Just thinking how nice it is to be home. How's Brady?"

Jacob paused, and she winced. She knew he was not doing well. "Carlisle says he might be okay...but…he has to retire. The way his bones were crushed…he can't handle phasing anymore. Carlisle is afraid it would do more damage than help right now."

"He won't ever be a wolf again?"

Jacob shook his head against her hair. "No, Ness, he won't."

They were silent for a few moments as they watched the waves rolling on the beach.

He sighed, inhaling the crisp, salty ocean air in the clear night. Glancing up, he hoped that the stars were shining brightly under the cover of clouds that blocked them from their view that night. The smoke from the large bonfire wafted their way, reminding them that they were indeed finally home.

They had wandered down the beach together, finally relaxed enough to feel the need for alone time with each other.

"I have something to tell you," he finally said softly, his voice rasping. She turned around in his arms, looking up at him.

"What is it? Whatever it is…it sounds serious," she mused thoughtfully. "Do I want to know?"

Jacob ran a hand through his shaggy hair, already dreading this. "Probably not," he muttered to himself. He wove his hands through hers and took a deep breath.

"Jake…" she pleaded softly. "You can tell me."

"You won't like it," he stated simply, avoiding her eyes.

"Spill."

He looked down at the ground, sucking in another breath of the ocean air. "I…I feel like...now that things are so different between us that…I need to tell you about something that happened. It was a long time ago, and it's not important really…now, I mean. But…I need to tell you something about me. And…your mom."

Renesmee's eyebrows shot up, and she felt her stomach do a strange flip flop in her center. "My mom?"

He nodded. "Yeah…uh….crap," he growled, dropping her hands. He walked a few feet away, and she crossed her arms and stared after him.

"What are you trying to say?"

He was silent as he stared out at the waves.

"You…you were more than friends, weren't you?" she asked tentatively. That had to be what he was trying to say to her. It had to be. That was the worst possible thing she could think of.

He turned around, his brown eyes wide. "How did you know?"

She winced a little, making a face as her bare toes dug into the wet, rough sand at her feet. "I didn't. Just a…an unlucky guess I suppose," she explained. "You…and my mom?"

Jacob watched her eyes grow wide as her mind ran wild with possibilities.

"No! No...Ness, not like that. Nothing like that. We never…oh god, no. Edward...your father would have had my head."

"Oh," she snapped angrily. "Well if it made my father mad, then..." she made an exaggerated gesture with her arms to show how utterly pissed she was at his confession.

"No. Stop. I know what you're thinking. _No._ You mom didn't exactly want me either."

She laughed bitterly, throwing up her hands. Anger seared through her as she tried to imagine Jacob and her mother together…It sickened her.

"Wait…so just because my mom didn't return your feelings and my dad would have killed you…that's what stopped you?"

"Nessie, listen to me, I-"

"No!" She hissed. He reached for her hand and she yanked hers back, scowling at him. His jaw dropped open at her refusal to touch him; he was flabbergasted.

"Jake…why did you never tell me this? Why did my own mother never tell me this?"

"I think this was the exact reaction we were trying to avoid. Look, Ness, nothing ever happened. She didn't want me, and…and I realized eventually that didn't want her either!"

"I suppose the fact that they got married kinda changed that!"

Jacob growled and kicked at the sand. "No…not…quite," he admitted. "Ah, fuck," he muttered. This was not going well.

Her eyes grew wide as saucers. "So even when they got married you STILL tried to be with her?"

He gave up. "I tried to be with her…until I saw you."

Renesmee made a disgusted hissing sound and turned on her heel. She had had enough.

"Nessie, wait!" he called out, loping after her. He reached for her arm again, and she yanked it out of his grasp.

"I don't think so. Jake, how can you honestly tell me that you had the hotts for my own mother for years and then expect me not to freak out?"

"Ness..."

"Really, Jacob. Both of you…both of you are cowards for not telling me!"

Jacob recoiled at her term. He gritted his teeth and lunged forward, darting in front of her. He placed his hands on the front of her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?" she growled in a low voice. He blinked, surprised that she would growl so menacingly at him.

"Please…listen?"

"I'm _listening."_

"Ness…I know now that I was drawn to your mom because…well because I think that somehow the imprinting knew that she would give me you."

She was silent for a second, her eyes searching his.

"That's crap," Renesmee finally spat, pushing against his hands. He gripped her shoulders and made her stop again.

"No, it's not. When…when she was pregnant with you I could barely…I could barely stand to leave her for more than a few hours. It was because of you. Fate was already trying to tell me something, Ness."

"I don't believe you."

He sighed exasperatedly, throwing up his hands. "Fine! I was a stupid teenager in love with a girl. If you want to be upset with me for something I did when you weren't even a thought in anyone's mind, then fine! I give up," he growled, turning away. He walked closer to the line where the trees met the beach and stripped off his long sleeved shirt that Alice had dressed him in for the bonfire.

"I'm not going to take this," he muttered, unbuttoning his pants. He was about to kick off his shoes when she heard her coming after him.

"Wait!" she commanded, grabbing his arm. "Don't…don't leave like this."

His eyes widened in rage and frustration. "Make up your damn mind, woman! God…_Argh_!" he growled, punching the boulder next to them. It groaned and a huge slab of it fell to the ground.

"Jake-"

"You're making me crazy," he moaned, covering his eyes with his hands. He rubbed his face violently, as if he was trying to make the situation he had gotten himself into disappear. "I try to fix this and tell you the truth and you hate me! For something that I did before you were even born! Does that even make sense to you?" he thundered, shaking his trembling hands at her.

"No, but it's still messed up!" She bellowed back, taking a step closer to him. The thought of Jacob lusting after her mother stirred her emotions and made her want to break something. Something large, and preferably made of glass. However, it also made one emotion stick out: _jealousy._

"You're making me lose my _freaking_ mind!" he growled through his teeth, hunching down to eye level with her. His dark eyes were lit up like black coals, and it made her skin rise with goose bumps.

"Maybe if you wouldn't act like such a _horny mutt_, this never would have happened!" she shot back in his face.

"You're a hot headed little princess sometimes, you know that?" He snapped. Her eyes got even wider. He had never said anything like that to her before, and it made her rage ignite. _Jacob never fought back. He really must be at the breaking point…_ she thought.

And she was right. He never had fought back before, but her anger with him had driven him to a point near insanity.

He watched the way her cheeks filled with blood and turned pink when she was angry, and the way her brown eyes lit up with fire when she growled. Her bronze curls hung in ringlets around her face, framing it in the moonlight.

She had never looked so beautiful.

Without thinking, he grabbed her face with his large hands and pressed his lips against hers. She whimpered in surprise, her hands flying up to cover his. She was about to rip them off when her body relaxed against her will, responding to his warm lips against hers. His tongue moved forward and swiped against her bottom lip, and she gasped in surprise. Jacob pressed his body up against hers, shuddering at the sudden contact. The only sound was the waves as they crashed on the beach, along with their labored breathing from their heated kiss.

Jacob sucked on her bottom lip, making her groan in appreciation as he kissed her with more passion and more force than he ever had before. It was unexpected, heated, and very sexy to her. To go from fighting and screaming at each other on the empty beach to embracing as they were….it stirred her emotions more than anything ever had.

Her hands slowly slid down his arms as he kissed her, feeling his burning skin against hers. Every touch and contact of their skin made her insides sizzle with a pleasant heat that she had never felt before.

It was electric.

How she had avoided this for so long was beyond her means of thought at that moment. He ripped the zipper down on her fluffy down vest that she wore to the chilly beach, his hands separating the pieces like lightning. He pulled her against his chest, groaning into her mouth as the thin cotton of her simple shirt hit his skin. One of his hands slid down her neck, grasping it firmly and tilting her head back. Jacob's warm tongue probed her mouth gently, tasting her as they kissed. His hand slid down further and further, until it was just above her breast. He wanted more…he _needed _more.

But…something stopped him. He pulled away from her, panting slightly

"Ness…. we have to stop."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I hope you enjoy the update that went up today – it went up in honor of Renesmee's birthday! And also because you guys' reviews on the last chapter rocked my world. You are all so supportive, I heart you all : )

As the story draws to a close (somewhat) I'd love to hear from my phantom readers…just once? *cough cough*

A few of you commented that Nessie didn't give Jake too hard a time about wanting to kill her when she was born. I picture her to be well educated about the pack and what most vampires mean to them as enemies, so I thought she would be slightly understanding about Jacob's feelings at her birth. However…Jake wanting to hookup with her mommy in the past…well…that will not go over well ; )

As always, a BIG thank you to my beta, Rain-It-Shall for doing her kickass work on this chapter and every other chapter – she amazes me. Voting for 'I Love My Beta' for the Hidden Star Awards starts Sept. 16th, and I will post the link for that so that you can vote for her to show her your support for all of her hard work!

**Please review! **


	42. Getaway

It's not so easy loving me  
It gets so complicated  
All the things you've gotta be  
Everything's changin  
But you're the truth  
I'm amazed by all your patience  
Everything I put you through  
When I'm about to fall  
Somehow you're always waitin  
with your open arms to catch me  
You're gonna save me from myself

Save Me From Myself – Christina Aguilera

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"_What do you mean we have to stop?" _

"_We just do, I…I want to know that you're okay with your mom and…what happened before we…"_

_She raised her eyebrows expectantly at him. _

"_Uh,…continue with this…our…r-relationship," he stuttered, placing his hands on her hips. He maneuvered away from her, careful be gentle this time. Things had gotten out of hand fast, and they both knew it. _

_The silence that lingered between them was tangible._

"_She should have told me. __**You **__should have told me. End of story," she muttered. _

"_Ness.."_

"_Someone should have something, Jake. That's not even fair to me – you didn't even give me a chance to freak out about it. No one even gave me a chance to-"_

"_Would you have listened?"_

"_I think so."_

"_Really? I don't. Six months ago Ness…you were a different person. You couldn't handle things the way you handle them now. You would have ripped my head off."_

"_I want to now."_

"_Should I have not said anything then? Is that the way you want it?"_

"_No, but…"_

"_Well, then tell me what I'm supposed to do here Ness. Because either way, I see myself losing and being at fault for something that…honestly…it happened before you were even a possibility. And if I had known then…you know I'd do it different. You know that."_

"_I guess."_

"_What?" he had bellowed, throwing up his hands. "You're trying to tell me that you wouldn't have freaked out? I'm calling horseshit on that Ness."_

_She had crossed her arms and scowled at him, curling her toes into the sand. "I still would have liked to know. Again…another HUGE secret that was basically kept from me. As much as it sucks Jake….this was a huge deal, and none of you even thought to tell me. I'm not mad…I guess…but…I would have wanted to know."_

"_Does this change anything between us then?"_

"_It doesn't have to…I mean…I can't be that mad at you for something that, like you said…happened before I was born. Even though I want to stay angry…"_

"_Still," Jacob had said. "You need to talk to her. I…I don't want you to be upset anymore about this. It won't' just go away, Renesmee. It happened."_

_She sighed. "Exactly. It's in the past, and that's all that matters. I don't want to fight anymore Jake. We've been through too much to keep fighting."_

_He placed his hands on her cheeks, blocking the chilly ocean breeze from blowing against them. Leaning his forehead against hers, he sighed. "Then talk to her…."_

Renesmee pulled her hand back from Bella's forearm after showing her what had happened on the beach the night before. While she was humiliated to show her mother what she and Jacob had been doing, she knew that that was the best way to explain herself and why she was upset.

Bella sat very still on the couch of the cottage, and Renesmee could tell that even as a vampire, Bella was fighting the urge to wring her hands together and fidget.

"I…I was wrong not to tell you. But…I really thought that was Jacob's place. I didn't want to interfere," Bella finally said. She looked over at her daughter, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Renesmee looked at the deep scars down her mother's otherwise flawless skin. Her wounds were healing; slowly, but they were healing.

"Mom…why couldn't you all have just been honest with me? This whole time I…I just think a LOT of this could have been avoided if you would have all just told me what was going on."

Bella nodded, swallowing. Renesmee noticed how in that moment, her mother didn't look like a vampire, or an angel, or some other beautiful unearthly being; she looked awkward, confused, and ashamed. She looked human.

"We did so many things wrong with you, Renesmee…we just didn't know what we were doing," she said softly, her voice just above a whisper. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Renesmee stared at her, slightly aghast. "Mom, you didn't do things wrong just…I guess…I guess you did them the best you could. There isn't a handbook on how to raise your hybrid daughter. I just wish you all would have given me a bit more credit when it comes to these things."

"You are an adult now, after all," Bella admitted. Renesmee nodded, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess that's the hard part in all of this," she admitted, looking down at her hands as she wrung them in her lap. "I just…I know Carlisle said I'm full grown but that doesn't necessarily mean I know all the answers."

"That's natural. I didn't either Renesmee," Bella replied, weaving her hands with Renesmee's.

"I know. Jake told me about you when you were a human lots of times. It's just that…I wish I knew how to be an adult now that I am one. I suppose I just thought that I would wake up one day and automatically know all the answers, and things would just be easy."

"Baby, things never are," Bella replied, reaching her marble hand up to stroke Renesmee's hair. "I felt the same way sometimes before I figured everything out. And…obviously I'm still learning," she said, making a face that insinuated she was talking about what had just happened.

"I know mom…It just would have helped me if I knew what was going on. I mean…when Jacob told me that last night I just remember feeling so…so…betrayed that you would all do that to me. No one told me that. I think the fact that there was this sick little love triangle going on that-"

"-There wasn't ever a triangle. My feelings for Jacob were never romantic. I stand by that. It was always Edward," Bella said, staring off into space. Her voice was distant, yet firm.

Renesmee watched her mother's expression change when she talked about her father. Her expression changed into something dreamy and nostalgic. So…in _love_. At that moment, she realized that she had nothing to be upset about. Jacob had had a crush on her mom, and as humiliating as that had been at first, well…she couldn't be upset with Jacob for something he did before she was born. He had been right about that.

"It's always been him. I told Jacob that years ago. It's always been Edward. I never knew but…I had a feeling that someone was waiting for Jacob. And I was right. Only it was the other way around – he was waiting for you, he just didn't know it."

Renesmee was silent for a moment as her mother's grip on her hands finally loosened.

"You're right, I think. I just….I had a hard time with what he told me," she admitted.

Bella squeezed her hand again. "Anyone would. But…we're a bit unconventional. I really do think that he knew I would give him you someday."

"He said that too."

Bella smiled warmly, leaning forward. "If we say it enough times…it'll become the truth. So maybe you should think that too."

Renesmee giggled softly, leaning forward towards her mom to rest her head against hers. Bella laughed, the sound ringing off the walls of the cozy cabin.

"Okay mom. Jacob was waiting for me. All those years he was jonesin' for you, he was really waiting for me."

"Good. Now stop all this and just…just go be with him."

Renesmee leaned back, giving her a skeptical look. "Shouldn't you be telling your teenage daughter to not spend time with her…boyfriend?" she asked, tripping over the word. Was that what Jacob was to her now? Her boyfriend? That word didn't feel like enough of a title for her Jacob.

Bella squeezed her hand and chuckled. "Even though you're…young looking…you're adults, Renesmee. You can act like it. You've proved that, and I trust you. You know what you want now. So go and get it. Don't waste time here," she replied softly.

Renesmee knew that she was right. She nodded, kissed her mother on the cheek, and bolted out the door. Following the pull in the center of her chest, she could feel where Jacob was. She needed to talk to him, and now.

Up the worn path to the main house she bounded, her feet churning against the mossy ground. Trees brushed against her in the crisp winter afternoon, and she wanted nothing more than to find him and talk to him. After talking to her mother, Renesmee decided that Bella was indeed right. She needed to get away. _They_ needed to get away. She knew that he was still up at the main Cullen house, probably waiting for dinner handouts from Esme. Her grandmother was so happy to have people around to cook for again that she had been feeding the pack nonstop since their return.

She found Jacob in the backyard tossing a football around lazily with Embry and Collin. The early winter was still chilly, but the waning sunlight shone on the three tanned boys making them look like bronzed statues. As she approached, they all stopped and looked over at her.

"What is it Nessie?" Jacob asked. He could tell by the contemplative frown decorating her perfect features that she needed something.

She wasted no time. "Can you get away?"

"Huh?" he asked, rolling the ball in his large hands. She shook her head in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. She glanced at Embry and Collin, giving them an apologetic glance and pulled Jacob away with her. He followed her to the edge of the tree line, allowing her to pull him out of sight of the house. She panted in frustration and agitation, running her hand through her long hair nervously.

He looked down at her, his dark brown eyes full of concern. "Nessie, what is it?"

She looked at him, biting her lip as she shifted nervously in place, dancing from one foot to the other, attempting to shake the nervousness out of her hands. Her eyes met his, and her heart instantly warmed deliciously just at the sight of him.

Her hands were around his neck immediately, pressed on either side. He barely had time to give her another confused look before she frantically pulled herself up against him and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him desperately, pulling herself up to be level with him. He backed them up against a tree, propping her back against it. She sighed into his mouth as she let her tongue dart out to taste him. Just the taste of his spicy yet sweet flavor on her tongue made her think things that she shouldn't. Or should she? She was an adult now, and so was he; Bella had said that herself. Her mind was made up.

"Jake…I…"

"What?" he panted, pulling his head back to look at her. His eyes were hooded and lust-filled from their impromptu make out against the tree. Gently, she pushed him back and stepped down, separating them.

"Ness, you're scaring me. After everything…I don't like being scared. Out with it," he said in true Jacob-fashion.

"I want to get away."

"What do you mean _get away_?"

"I mean is your offer still good? To get away, I mean?" she asked impatiently, biting her lip.

Jacob's mouth fell open slightly in disbelief. He was amused that she was even allowed to _go._

"Does Edward know?"

She shook her head. "No. He doesn't have to. My mom knows, and…and it doesn't _matter_! It's up to us!" she said frantically. "Jake…Jake what we do now is up to us, and I want to leave with you, just like you promised. "

He nodded, his expression somewhat relieved. "Of course. I'll let the guys know," he said simply. She looked surprised that her plan had been that easy to convince him of.

"You mean it?"

He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. "Of course I do. I promised. I couldn't break a promise to you if I tried, and I wouldn't want to," he whispered, his deep voice raspy. She smiled, touching his cheek.

_Thank you,_ she said silently.

Jacob shrugged and followed Renesmee back up to the main house so that they could make the preparations for their trip. She hadn't expected it to be that easy, but she wasn't complaining. She knew her father would have a thing or two to say about them leaving, but she wasn't about to worry about that now.

Alice danced up to them once they were inside, handing them two printed off boarding passes. "I saw that I would need these, but I didn't know why until now," she said with a sigh.

"Where are we going?" Renesmee asked, shuffling through the papers for an answer. Alice winked at Jacob while Renesmee read, a smile finding its way to her lips.

"Isle Esme," she breathed, reading the boarding pass to Rio. Alice grinned and nodded, pushing Jacob in the direction of a stack of suitcases.

"I already packed everything you'll need," she added.

Renesmee felt her stomach do another nervous flip flop as she considered what that meant. Her mind swirled with memories of frilly dresses and unnecessary costume jewelry shoved at her by Alice over the years.

"It's fine," she assured her, motioning to where the packed suitcases already waited.

Bella appeared in the doorway, a wistful look on her perfect ivory face.

Renesmee looked at her mother and smiled warmly. "Thanks mom," she replied, her eyes tearing up. Jacob put a hand on her shoulder at the sign of her emotion and gave her a weak smile.

"You're welcome. Stay as long as you need. You've both earned it," she said quietly.

"Thanks," Jacob said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Alice cocked an eyebrow at him and tossed a plastic, lumpy bag at him as well.

"What…?" Jacob trailed off, looking at it strangely. "Oh, thanks Alice," he said when he realized what it was.

"No problem. I figured you'd have trouble going through airport security in nothing but cargo shorts," she replied smugly, her golden eyes glinting.

Jacob rolled his eyes, but left the room to go change into the clothes Alice had selected for him. While she waited, she hugged her mother, Alice, and Esme goodbye.

"You're sure dad will be alright with this? I wanted to leave before he and Emmett got home from hunting…Emmett will only tease me," she said sheepishly.

"Leave your father to me," Bella said, hugging her daughter tightly. "And forget about Emmett." Both of them turned as Jacob walked back into the room, decked out in untied, black motorcycle boots, dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a zip up grey sweatshirt. He looked somewhat normal in regular clothes, yet she knew that her Jacob would stand out in a crowd like none other. With his tan skin, tall, muscular body, and unearthly good looks, he didn't exactly fit in. Her stomach twisted nervously.

"You ready to go?" Renesmee asked, pulling a light cardigan over her shoulders. He finished tying the boots and stood.

"Yeah…it's weird to wear shoes again though. Is that weird?"

She thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Jake, what about us is normal?" she asked with a laugh.

He nodded and laughed with her, grabbing their suitcases. "Ready!" he said eagerly. She hugged everyone good bye and they loaded into the SUV that Esme had loaned them. Once inside, she settled into the chilly leather seats and tried to relax for a bit before they arrived at the airport. They rode in silence most of the way, neither one sure what to say after the last few days.

When they got to the airport, Jacob unloaded and checked their bags, and they were forced to sit and wait until the plane was ready. The silence was driving him mad.

He looked over at her to see her giving him a strange look. She reached over and thumbed the sleeve of his shirt, looking at the material that covered his normally bare body.

"I guess it is strange to see you in so many clothes," she said quietly, her eyes trailing down to jeans and boots. He laughed, flashing his white teeth at her.

"I told you I felt weird. Well I can't wait to get to the island –we won't have to wear practically anything when we get there!" He laughed.

They both got a mental picture of that and an awkward silence ensued. "I mean, like coats and shoes," he stammered quickly, his smile fading as he shifted uncomfortably in the metal airport seat.

"Oh," she mumbled, dropping her eyes to the floor. She shifted as well, fiddling with one of the buttons on her cardigan. Biting her lip, she noticed that his skin was flushed with embarrassment at his prior comment.

They both exhaled quickly when their flight was called and they were allowed to board the plane. Settling down into the comfortable first class seats Alice had gotten them, they waited for the plan to take off. The flight to Texas was long, but Renesmee had a book to read and Jacob had an ipod loaded with music and tv shows to keep him occupied. Once they were on the plane to Rio the long day began to catch up with both of them.

"Are we only halfway?" He groaned, securing her carry on and flopping down on the seat beside her. She smiled and nodded, patting his arm.

_You always complain that it's a long trip, and once you set foot on that island you always say the travel was worth it!_ She told him with her gift, adding the picture from her mind of Isle Esme's main white sand beach. He grinned and nodded, agreeing with her.

"You're completely right," he said, reaching for her hand. He held it securely in his own large hand, resting the back of it against his cheek with a sigh.

_You like holding my hand?_ She communicated with him.

He nodded, squeezing it tighter. She smiled at the sweet gesture, and a little of her nervousness melted away as they prepared to take off.

She turned her head sideways to look at him, and he rolled his head to the side to look at her as well, her hand still attached to his. She looked into his dark brown eyes and felt her lips start to turn upwards to smile again at him when the flight attendant interrupted their quiet moment. He dropped her hand quickly as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

"Welcome to Flight 316 to Rio. I'm Mary and I'll be your flight attendant this evening! Can I get you two kids anything to drink?" She chirped, looking at the two of them expectantly. Renesmee frowned at her too-chipper attitude and condescending manner.

"A Bloody Mary," Renesmee muttered, too low for human ears. Jacob nudged her slightly, giving her an incredulous look. He smiled sweetly at Mary.

"No, thank you Mary," he replied smoothly, giving her a charming look.

"You kids let me know!" She added before bouncing away. Renesmee rolled her eyes and growled low in her throat, and Jacob turned to her.

"Is someone crabby?" he asked, looking at her with one eyebrow raised. She huffed and shifted in her seat, frowning out the window.

"I'm just ready to be there already," she said quietly. He rubbed her knee reassuringly and looked at her.

"Can you sleep til we get to Rio? You should be getting sleepy by now," he said in his big-brother voice.

"Jake," she whined. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," he said, leaning back in his seat. He put the armrest between them up and out of the way once they were up in the air, and turned off the light above them. She had turned to look out the plane's window, and he looked at her as she watched the silver clouds fly by.

Her copper hair hung in loose ringlets down her chest, and her ivory skin glowed faintly in the soft light from the isle of the plane. Her big brown eyes drooped slightly from exhaustion as she sat in her seat, and he laughed to himself as she watched her fight sleep.

Her head bobbed as she began to give in, exhaustion finally starting to hit her in waves.

"Commere," he muttered, putting an arm around her. He was relieved when she finally let him pull her closer and relax in his arms. He turns slightly so that her head to could rest against his chest, and he draped his sweatshirt over her legs to keep any chill away from her. He knew that she rarely got cold but…the gesture seemed right.

After several minutes, her breathing evened out and he knew she was deep in slumber. He raised one of her slender hands up to his cheek and watched as cloud-like shapes floated on the backs of her eyelids while she slept. Soon, images of her family and friends started to replay in her sleeping mind, Jacob pleased to see his face more than anyone else. He watched as her dream-like stated showed him flashes and images from both her memory and imagination.

Jacob shook her awake hours later when the plan was preparing to land, and she blinked several times before she remembered where they were. She watched as he gathered their things and got them ready to de-board the plan.

"Excited?" she asked, stretching slowly. He grinned.

"Yup. Can't wait to get out on that beach and phase and go for a run," he said in a low voice, looking around at the other unknowing passengers.

Over the next hour, they moved from the airport to a taxi, to another smaller taxi that took them to the Cullen's boat. The air in Rio smelled spicy and tropical until the smell of the approaching salt water and surf hit them. They quickly loaded into the boat, Renesmee's excitement making her body move a bit faster than was humanly normal. Jacob was too excited himself to say anything to her about it as they climbed in. He started it with a roar and they sped off into the night, the stars twinkling on the water.

Renesmee sat back in the plush seat of the small speed boat and felt a wave of nervousness wash over her as they crossed the ocean towards Isle Esme.

Everything was finally hitting her; Damon was gone, Stefan was happy, she was Jacob's imprint and they were here on the island together.

_Alone._

Suddenly, she went from a little nervous to having her teeth practically chatter with anxiousness at the thought of being alone with Jacob after everything that had happened. What would happen while they were there? What would he expect?

Biting her lip, she looked over at him as he drove, his eyes black and gleaming with excitement to finally be at their desolate location. He looked over and caught her eye, winking quickly before slowing the boat to dock.

She jumped out quickly once they were close enough, eager to stretch her legs and get out of a cramped position on the boat seat. He tied it up and they quickly carried the bags up the path and to the cozy, beautiful island home decorated by Esme. Night had settled over the island, and yet the warm lights of the house shone brightly against the hazy night sky. Even though she had been to isle Esme at least four or five times since she was born, each time it became more and more beautiful in her eyes.

Like a gentleman, he offered to carry her bags inside for her, and she let him. He dutifully followed her up the sandy path towards the house where the lights from the house glowed in a welcoming manner.

They both dropped their bags in the entry way and were suddenly very quiet.

"Well, we're here," he said, breaking the silence.

"Yup," she replied, looking around the quaint house. The light tones and open, airy atmosphere practically screamed 'Decorated by Esme'.

Jacob could feel the tension and anxious energy growing in the air, and he slumped his shoulders and sighed in defeat.

"Ness, it's okay. What's wrong? We're here!" he said, taking both of her hands in his. He swung them lightly between them and tried to get her to look at him. He looked around the house and grinned. "What more could we want? A swanky house on a remote island, stocked with food if memory serves me correctly," he said with a wink. "And we're here together after everything that happened. What could possibly be wrong?" he asked.

She looked up into his brown eyes and felt her heart melt a little at his happiness. She really didn't want to ruin it, but knew that she didn't want to lie to him either.

She shrugged, looking around the empty house. "I don't know…being here…with you…it's just different, that's all."

He was hurt. "How so? What's so bad about being here with just me Nessie?" he asked, frowning a little.

"No no! Nothing, I swear. Being here with you is great…"

"But what?" He could tell by the contemplative look on her face that that was not all she had to say.

"Jake, the only other time I was away from my family it didn't go well," she said softly. She raised her eyes to meet his.

"So? You're here with me. Nothin' is gonna happen to you when I'm around," he said sternly.

"That's not what I'm worried about," she admitted.

"Ness," he said firmly. "What's wrong? You need to tell me so I can help."

"Jake, this is the first time we're…you know…really alone…together," she said slowly, shifting her eyes to the floor.

A flush rose in her cheeks as they stood in the entryway together, their hands entangled. His cheeks changed in color to match hers, and he sighed. He had fought long and hard to get them to this point, and he was not screwing this up now.

"Hey, do you want to go for a run?" he asked, looking at her hopefully. She glanced up, relaxing slightly as began to rub the back of her hands with his thumbs. She gave him a quick jolt of relief with her gift and he smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

She nodded, squeezing his hands again as he turned towards the door.

"Come on," he said, practically pulling her off the front porch. Their feet hit the sand and they both took off into the starry night towards the awaiting surf. She let out a high laugh of sheer glee as her feet hit the warm water of the ocean. He reached the water a few seconds later and charged in, soaking both sets of their clothes right away. She darted around behind him and leaped up onto his back, securing her arms around him tightly.

"Ahhh!" she screamed happily as he charged through the shallow surf, kicking up the warm saltwater as he ran. They frolicked and played for a few more minutes before she finally hopped off his back and took a breath from laughing so hard.

"I love this place," she finally said, looking out at the waves as they came rolling in towards them. He stood a few feet away, looking back at her.

"I do too," he said quietly. Her eyes met his, and she bit her lip awkwardly before looking away. Once again, she wasn't sure what else to say. She glanced back over at him as he peeled off his black t-shirt and threw it back onto the sand.

"Ready for that run?" he asked, looking at her expectantly. The moonlight caught his tawny skin and the wet saltwater running off of him shone brilliantly from where she stood.

_God he really is beautiful. He's like a Greek statue…a tan, sexy, better looking Greek Statue…_She thought to herself. She had to make a conscious effort not to lick her lips at the thought about the shirtless Jacob standing just ten feet from her, dripping with salt water.

"Ness?" he asked again, snapping her back to reality.

"Huh?"

"The run? Do you still want to go?"

"Oh, um, yeah, sure," she said quickly, darting out of the water. He looked at her expectantly and she heaved a sigh, turning around so that he could strip down and phase.

"I know, I know…." She said with a giggle, turning back towards the ocean.

"Well Alice only packed me so many clothes, I wouldn't want to have to spend the rest of the trip running around naked because I ruined them all," he retorted, wincing before the sentence was even out of his mouth.

_I'll just run around naked? Good lord Jake…good one. Good one,_ He thought to himself flatly as he pulled his shorts down. He was glad she was facing the other direction so she couldn't see his pink cheeks.

She wrung out her hair as she stood there, waiting for him to de-robe and phase. She heard a familiar rip of skin and fur and soon she was being nudged by a slightly wet nose. She turns around and stood in front of him, her eyes gleaming brightly.

"I'll….race ya!" she shrieked before leaping into the air with a stream of sand kicking up behind her. They took off down the moonlit sandy beach, and she tried to her best to not let her nerves get the best of her. She was on a beautiful island with her best friend who was now her boyfriend, and they were alone together. And that was a good thing…she hoped.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Woo hoo! They're finally together and on Isle Esme! I hope you like that I sent them there : )

It was such a magical place for Bella and Edward, and I wanted Jake and Nessie to have their chance to have a lovely albeit at times slightly awkward and sexually frustrated time on the island just like they did. That said…as this 'M' rated story finds its way slowly but surely to it's end (we still have a bit to go, but it's almost over) I would like to simply remind you all one more time that this IS an M rated fic. People voted, and a HUGE majority of you wanted to keep this one story and NOT do the steamy stuff in the outtakes.

THAT SAID, I am not even going to apologize for the amount of sexual tension, smut, fluff, and all around steamy good time that is had on the Island. It's what you've all been waiting for, and I'm gonna do my best to deliver. Granted, I'm not done messing with them, but there are rather citrusy things abound for these two. So – you've been warned.

Review? What do you think will happen on Isle Esme, given the track record of these two? Hmm? I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	43. Linger

I'm here on the edge again  
I wish I could let it go  
I know that I'm only one step away  
from turning it around

Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
when you hold me in your embrace

Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Give me something I can believe

Don't tear it down, what's left of me  
Make my heart a better place

_All I Need – Within Temptation_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Her vampire ears could hear the sound of him running behind her, his joints cracking a bit from sitting still for so long.

They raced down the shoreline and towards the center of the island, where the small jungle met the sand. She darted up the hill towards the lone peak of the island and skidded to a halt once she reached it.

"Beat ya," she said, looking back at the panting wolf behind her. He sat back on his haunches and barked softly, obviously slightly irritated that she had reached the top of the cliffs before him. She looked out over the large drop at the ocean as the moon shone above, its reflection dancing on the rippling water. The smell of salt and surf hit her nostrils, but it was met with a slightly more exotic scent of the tropical plants and flowers growing all around them. It was lovely.

He nudged her with his wet nose and she turned to look at him.

_Isn't it pretty?_ She asked him, placing her palm on his muzzle. He chuffed contentedly and moved up to stand beside her on the cliff. She scratched behind his ears as she gazed out at the mirror-like water, in complete awe of the beauty before her.

He whined in pleasure as she continued to scratch him lightly behind one of his reddish brown ears with her granite-like nails. "Why don't you like this when you're human?" she joked, patting his head.

His paws slid on the gravel ground as he lay down beside her with a grumble.

"You know, when you're mad you make the same noises as a wolf that you do when you're human," she laughed.

She looked over at him to see him roll his wolf eyes at her. Giggling, she playfully shoved his head away and he snorted again at her teasing. Jacob's mannerisms as a wolf were so similar to the faces and things he did as a human sometimes that it made her laugh. She leaned against his side, weaving her hands in his wiry but soft fur. The reddish tone of it caught in the moonlight and gleamed under her fingers as she stroked his shoulder and neck. He groaned softly in delight as she petted him gently, a shiver running down his spine. She laughed at him before leaning her head down to rest it against his shoulder.

"You're nice to lean against as a human and as a wolf, I have to give you credit," she said finally.

"I'm sorry I was weird earlier when we first got here. This is a lot to take in sometimes, ya know?"

He looked back at her, his brown eyes expressive and understanding. She continued.

"It's just that…for so long, I've had so many people around to babysit me. Or whatever it was. That's why I went a little crazy in Denali and when you went to college. I had to get away. I missed you and wanted to tell you, and I felt like I was being smothered. It never really bothered me until I matured fully, I'm not sure why. But once I did….it was like…it was like a light went on inside me and I had to let it shine full blast instead of having…well…a lampshade. Do you get what I mean?"

Jacob looked at her again, unsure of what to do. He huffed and stood quickly, pushing her off of him. She gave him a confused look as he stalked back into the jungle a bit behind the cover of the trees. A few seconds later, she heard him traipsing around a bit as he looked for something in the thick underbrush and soon he emerged.

She let out a loud, echoing laugh as Jacob stalked towards her a large leaf covering his upper thighs and privates. He rolled his eyes at her laughing and carefully held it up in front of him as he walked out to stand beside her.

"Don't worry, I can't see," she joked, turning forward so that he didn't have to worry as much about his strategically placed leaf.

"I know I look young, but I sure as hell wasn't born yesterday," he quipped.

"Yeah yeah," she said, crossing her arms. He walked over to her and stood, face to face. He was so close that she could smell the spicy, comforting tones of his masculine scent rolling off of him. She loved how he smelled just after a phase; almost wolf, almost human, but appealing…and a little wild. He sighed, blowing a small puff of air onto her face , one hand holding up his large leaf while the other took her hand.

"Ness, the last thing I want to do is make you feel like you don't want to be here with me," he started.

"Jake, that's not it at all! I want to be here with you! This was my idea!" she said quickly, gripping his hand with hers. The saddened tone of his voice made him feel like he was slipping away, and that terrified her.

"Then why suddenly is it awkward when I say something stupid? It never used to be. Why suddenly now are you worried about your family being so far away? Why does it worry you to be alone with me?" he asked the last question with hurt in his eyes. "I only came here alone with you because that's what I thought you wanted."

"Jake-"

"-Do you not get it? I'd do anything you wanted me to Ness. Even if it was knocking over a liquor store and cheating my way through Vegas…I would do it if you asked me to."

Her face lightened, realizing that he was trying to make a joke. "Jake…"

His hardened face broke a little, and he smiled unsurely. "You get what I mean. How have you not figured that out by now?"

"I do, I mean…I have…it's just a lot to take in. I mean, the whole 'imprint' thing is a lot to wrap my head around, even with all this 'ability for wrapping'!" she said, gesturing towards her forehead. He nodded, unsure of what to say next.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Jake…"

"No, it's okay. Usually people freak out. I should have known you would a little, especially since I've known you since birth."

"Yeah, I did freak out a little…I mean…you met me when I was a baby and just knew? I remember being drawn to you when I was born but I just thought you were my special friend because you loved my mom so much…I never…I never knew or even thought of it," she said, blushing a little.

He raised one of his hot hands up to stroke her bare shoulder. Goosebumps rose on her hard skin, and she blushed even more.

"It wasn't weird like most people think, Ness. I never thought of you…like that…until you were almost seventeen physically. I never even could. When your body was physically fifteen or sixteen and the guys in the pack started making comments about how hot you were becoming…I…I went nuts. I almost ripped Colin's head off once. I swear."

She let a nervous giggle slip as she pictured the scene.

"I never let it be weird. I was fully prepared for years to just be your big brother or best friend – you can ask anyone in my pack. I loved you to death and would have done anything for you, but I never had romantic feelings for you when you were younger – ever. When you got older and got closer to seventeen, I seriously tried to look at you different and never could. It was just impossible for me to do. I really did think I was going to be like another uncle to you." He paused, looking at her features in the moonlight. He licked his lips and looked at the ground, shifting his weight a little before he continued.

"And then…boom! One day it just happened. I saw you one day and you weren't this little girl anymore that used to ride on my back and make me play with dolls. You were suddenly this gorgeous, sexy vixen that had replaced my little Nessie. You suddenly had…long legs and girl parts, and…" His face grew hot and red. "It was just different for me at that moment. But I waited even longer, because I knew that I wanted you to be ready. And if you're still not ready, and if you're never ready, that's fine. That's part of this deal – I'm gonna be there for you always, Ness, no matter how I get to do it."

Her eyes welled up and she bit her lip. "You _get_ to?" she whispered. He didn't say have to, like he was forced by some strange Quileute magic. He said 'get to' like it was a good thing. Like he was happy to.

"Yes. I get to. My life was just different from the day you were born and on. I wasn't the same person – I was a better person. I was happier and on track – my life had a purpose. I had never felt like that before. It was magic, yeah…but it was the best kind."

"Jake…" she said, a tear rolling down her cheek. She grabbed his free hand and held it to her cheek, showing him how grateful she was. She bombarded his mind with her love, thankfulness, and understanding of the imprinting. He blinked a few times, his mind taking it all in. Leaning his forehead to hers, he wiped away the few tears that had fallen from her eyes and smiled.

"Don't cry. I hate to see Nessie cry," he said. "I usually end up almost killing someone when Nessie cries," he added.

She laughed through her tears and leaned against his warm chest, her ear falling over his pulsing heart. It sped slightly as he dropped his head to kiss the top of hers, and she smiled to herself.

_Nothing to worry about…it's just Jake. Same old Jake. But its better this time,_ she told herself.

He pulled away to look at her closely. "Let's just have fun while we're here. I don't want you to worry about anything while we're away from everything that _should_ worry us."

"Like what?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Like you're crazy Aunt Rosalie. You should worry about her," Jacob laughed, poking Renesmee in the side. She laughed and wiped her eyes again gingerly.

"But are we agreed? We'll just go back to how things used to be and forget about all this stupid imprint stuff. We've always been Jake and Nessie, best friends, partners in crime. I always helped you do all the stuff Eddy and Bells never let you do. Come on, Ness….Let's just have fun and not worry about anything else, okay?" he pleaded, looking into her eyes.

She felt herself relax as she nodded. He smiled, flashing his brilliant white teeth. "I knew you'd agree to that. No weirdness, okay? You've been my imprint for seven and a half years and you were fine, and I don't want things to be awkward and strange between us just because you know now, right?"

Renesmee shook her head. "No, I know. You're Jake...I know that."

"Right. Same old Jake. I'm the same Jake that played house with you, I'm the same Jake that took you to the mall to look at boys when you were five…er…thirteen…I don't know…and I'm the same Jake that has always been your best friend. We used to camp in the backyard together and tell secrets," he added with a laugh.

She giggled, remembering all of the things he had brought up. "Seventeen year old boy secrets aren't as interesting as I would have hoped," she said with a laugh.

"Hey, I hung out with a three year old all day, what did you expect?" he shot back with a grin.

"I know…and…thank you. My life wouldn't have been the same without you," she said softly, touching his cheek gently. He bit his lip as his heart sped up, and hers did as well.

"Things will be fine. I'll just stop with the weirdness," she laughed softly. He nodded and looked down awkwardly at his leaf.

"Okay great, I'm glad to hear that and all, but this leaf is making…certain man-bits itch. I'm gonna phase back and then we'll see who beats who back to the house," he said with a wink.

She felt her heart start to flutter and race with anticipation…and she decided she rather liked it.

She laughed and spun on her heel to face away from him. He backed up and phased quickly before they raced back to the main house. While Jacob phased back and pulled on his shorts and shirt that had been discarded on the beach, she looked up at the sky. The moon was high, signaling how late it was, and she yawned stiffly as the exhaustion from a day of traveling suddenly hit her. She saw Jake walking up the beach, and she made her way into the house.

_Where will we sleep? How will we sleep? Will he want to sleep in the same room as me?_ She thought to herself, peeking into one of the bedrooms.

"Nice digs. We haven't been here in a while and I forget how nice this place is," he said, walking up behind her. They looked at the large blue bedroom, a bathroom, a study, and finally found the last room on the hallway – the white room. She wrinkled her nose at it, shaking her head.

"What?" he asked, looking around the room.

"Not this room. This is the uh….honeymoon room," she stammered, backing out of it. Jacob made a slight face as well, not wanting to picture what he was sure had gone on in this room.

"I'm with you, let's vacate!" he said, following her out.

_That leaves the blue room…is he going to want to sleep with me or not? I promised him this wouldn't be awkward…" _she panicked to herself. Did she want him to sleep in the same bed as her? They had never really done that, at least not since she was much, much younger.

They were back in the main part of the house that had a sunken-in living room, lined with white couches. The see-through fireplace stood in the middle of the room, separating it from the large kitchen that ran along the front of the house.

"Well, I'm gonna hit the hay…got a hard day tomorrow of…oh right, nothing," he said with a pleased grin. She watched as he stripped off his shirt, revealing his tight, sinewy chest that gleamed subtly in the muggy air. The Cullens had never installed an air conditioner in the house, so both of them were feeling the heat.

She sucked in her breath as she watched the sculpted muscles pull off the white shirt, his arms bending slightly as he pulled it and tossed it to the ground beside a couch. He slid down on his stomach, grabbing a beige pillow to rest his head on.

"Okay, well…goodnight," she muttered watching as he spread his tall, fit body out on the couch. Even in the dim light of the island house she could see his muscles rippling as he got comfortable. His bronzed skin seemed to glow against the white of the couch, and her heart thrummed at the sight. Renesmee quickly turned and headed into the bedroom before his sensitive ears picked up the sound of her embarrassment and lust.

She pulled back the soft white comforter and tossed the blue pillows to the floor, noting with a tinge of sadness how empty the large bed looked with just her in it. Would that soon change?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cracking open his eyes, he winced slightly as the bright white light hit him. Stretching, he was surprised to feel the soft, plush cushions beneath him. _What the…oh, _he thought to himself, sitting up. He had forgotten for a moment that he was on Isle Esme. With Renesmee. Alone.

"I'm an idiot," he grumbled, sitting up. Looking around, he squinted again as he took in the bright sunlight that flooded through the tall, wide windows lining the back of the house. The blue green ocean rolled waves onto the white sand, as if it was inviting him to come play in the waves with Nessie like he used to.

Usually his time at Isle Esme was spent playing tag in the waves, building sand castles the size of a small storage shed, and helping her make woven necklaces out of the wildflowers and orchids that grew on the private island. She had been little then, and they hadn't been back here for years. For a split second, it almost felt like the little Nessie from back then and the gorgeous woman in the bedroom were two different people.

_They're not. She's my Ness. Plain and simple,_ he thought to himself.

He scratched his head, standing up. Looking wistfully in the direction of Renesmee's room, he bit his lip and listened. Straining his sensitive ears, he could hear her steady breathing, signaling to him that she was still deeply asleep. Tip-toeing down the hallway, he peered in the bedroom where he could hear her heart thrumming away. He smiled to himself when he saw that it was open a crack.

Glancing inside, he saw that she was on her stomach, facing away from him, her bronze curls spread haphazardly all around the pillow next to her. She had the white sheet pulled up around her body, her toes sticking out the end.

_She's so cute,_ he mused to himself, turning away. She had always hated it when she was younger and he wanted to watch her sleep. Bella had told him years ago that Edward used to come into her bedroom at Charlie's house and watch her sleep, and he had always thought that was so creepy. Who wanted a vampire to watch them sleep? Besides, wouldn't it be boring to just sit there all night and watch a human girl snore the night away?

Then Renesmee had been born.

The family had taken advantage of her talent and watched what they called 'Dream TV' for years. They would take turns pressing Renesmee's tiny hands against their cheeks to watch what she was dreaming about. For people who hadn't slept in decades, it was the most entertaining thing they had ever seen. The first time Jacob had tried watching her dreams and had seen his face in the forefront of them, he felt like he had won a gold medal of some sort. _ She_ dreamed about _him._ The perfect little girl that owned his heart actually dreamt about him. He had been over the moon.

Shaking his head, he walked back down the hall and towards the kitchen. He was here, alone with her - finally - and he didn't exactly want to be building sandcastles. Common sense told him he should do something romantic or sweet for her, yet he wasn't quite sure what. He tried to remember some of the things he had seen his pack mates do for their imprints; or better yet, what he had seen Renesmee's family members do for their wives. They were always pulling swanky ways to impress each other out of their asses it seemed.

However, they were miles away from anything and anyone else, and he had no clue what to do for her. It seemed like the Cullens were always giving their wives huge bouquets of expensive looking flowers, diamonds, trips to Europe, and flashy cars. How could he even begin to compete with that? Would Renesmee even want that? His fist clenched itself on the white kitchen counter as he struggled with his newfound insecurity. Sure they were meant to be; that part seemed simple. But….he couldn't help but feel like it was up to him to at least make her _want_ to be with him. It was only fair to her that he try his best to court her in some way. But how?

"That's what this is all about," he told himself under his breath, turning around.

He looked around the impressive beach house, his eyes falling on the waiting surf. A swim would feel good right about now. Perhaps it would help him clear his mind. As he walked outside, he tried to focus on more important things, but his mind wouldn't let him. It was rather intimidating to think of something impressive to give her or do for her when he wasn't quite sure how to define their relationship. Nothing seemed quite right.

He made his way outside, closing the glass doors behind him quietly. Making his way down the beach, he sighed in relaxation as his toes hit the water. It felt good, soothing even. Isle Esme had always been a very calming, relaxing place for him, and he tried to calm down. He couldn't help but feel a little on edge; now that they were there together, would she ever come around?

After everything they had been through together the past few weeks, he had expected their relationship to simply pick back up where it had left off when they left Denali. Of course, their fight about his relationship with Bella back on the beach in La Push had been a bit of a setback. However, when they had gotten to Isle Esme and she had expressed her worries about being there alone with him…it had been a huge hit to his pride.

As he waded in the early morning surf, he looked back at the house where she slept. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't.

They were finally there together after everything, and nothing was going to stand in his way now. He remembered what Seth had said to him the week before, 'The good ones never have it easy'. Sure he had made fun of Seth for comparing his love life with Nessie to a Disney movie, but it _had _made perfect sense. The great romances always had some huge thing in the way that kept them from being together.

_The little mermaid had a fishtail for Pete's sake!_ He thought to himself with a chuckle. _Well if a prince and a girl that's half a fish can make it, then so can a half vampire and a werewolf, _he thought with a snort.

The sun was just above the horizon, and he guessed it was about eight in the morning there. He never really bothered with time or even shirts when he was on the island. It just didn't matter. The waves lapped gently at his feet, although they were much smoother in the little inlet where the house was situated.

The island was shaped like a huge 'U', with the house placed in the innermost loop. The waves were calm there, making it perfect for swimming and lounging around. One end of the island contained a small jungle complete with waterfalls, a lagoon, and little trails for hiking and running. One end of the island was a tall cliff that was perfect for cliff diving, while the other end sprawled out onto a long peninsula of perfect white sand. That side of the island was where Nessie used to make him go hunt for exotic fish and seashells.

How things had changed. Now his dirty mind was busy trying to picture what kinds of bathing suits and little dresses Alice had packed for her. He had heard about Alice's packing skills when it came to vacations, and for once in his life…he was rather glad that Alice was involved.

He had made up his mind about one thing though. If he wanted Renesmee to think of him a certain way, then he was going to have to act a certain way. He would definitely need to incorporate some romance into this…but how?

His stomach rumbled, almost as if to answer him.

"Got it!" He said, nodding. Now he only hoped that she would stay asleep long enough. Looking around, he debated where to do this. In the dining room? No, too formal. In the kitchen? Not romantic enough. The waves lapped at his ankles as if they were trying to get his attention.

"Ahah!" he muttered, his eyes lighting up. He would need to hurry.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the time Renesmee awoke, it was nearly nine. She glanced at the clock, stretching widely and quickly checking her cell phone. There was one message from her mother.

_Everything is fine. We miss you, but have fun. All our love. _

She smiled, snapping the phone shut. There would be time to call her mother later. Jumping up, she quickly showered and got ready for the day. She could hear Jacob moving around in the kitchen, and she briefly hoped that he saved her enough food. Werewolves had a tendency to eat the contents of the kitchen without noticing that there were others present. She giggled as she brushed out her hair, pinning one side back with a hairpin. Isle Esme felt too relaxed to bother with silly things like make up, shoes, and fancy hairstyles…she was going for simplicity today.

Opening the suitcase that Alice had packed for her, she was immediately overwhelmed. Dozens of frilly looking negligees popped out, along with skimpy sundresses, barely there bikinis, and an array of underwear that would put any Victoria's Secret to shame.

"Oh god, Alice," she moaned, covering her face with her hand. With a sigh, she picked out a frilly looking, albeit the most modest looking bikini in the group; it was coral colored with white polka dots. It had a neckline like a bra, but looked like it had more coverage than anything else in her suitcase. It would have to do. She dug through for a few more seconds before settling on a black halter dress to cover it up.

There, she thought, glancing at herself in the mirror. Modest, but…mature. That was exactly the look she was hoping to achieve. She did realize that if her relationship with Jake did progress like she hoped it would while they were there, he would indeed see everything she was trying to cover up; however…she wasn't really ready for that yet.

Following her nose to the kitchen, she was surprised to find it empty. It smelled like food, but…there was none. Where had Jacob gone?

She heard a whistle from the direction of the beach, and she dashed over to the double glass doors that led to the ocean. She smiled widely when she saw Jacob standing in the morning sunlight, grinning from ear to ear.

"Morning," he said, his voice husky and thick. Her heart fluttered a little at the sound of his deep voice in the morning; it was always rough and sexy sounding.

"Morning to you too," she said, walking through the soft white sand. His eyes casually moved up and down her dress selection, and then finally met hers with another wide smile. Taking a deep breath, she rose up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. The color of his tan skin threatened to turn pink after her display of affection.

"I like the way you sound in the morning," she said, swallowing her nerves. Jacob looked unsure of what to say for a moment, so she spoke again. "Did you cook something? The kitchen smells good."

He seemed to snap out of his nervousness and smile. "Yeah, uh…I cooked you some breakfast."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You…cooked?" she practically stuttered. He nodded, flashing his white teeth again as he nodded to the beach.

"For you. Come on!" he said, grabbing her hand. They dashed down the beach, around the corner of the house by Esme's garden of tropical flowers. Several palm trees stretched over sand where the garden ended, and there on the white powder-like beach was a blue blanket, spread out in the shade. It had a tray of freshly cut fruit, a few pieces of badly burnt bacon, and a large covered tray.

"What is this?" She asked excitedly, brushing her hair out of her face. He smiled, sitting down. She followed his lead, sitting down next to him. He smiled, reaching behind him to produce a lei necklace, woven out of purple and white orchids.

"This, my dear, is for you. Happy, uh…vacation?" he asked, placing the woven flowers around her neck. She giggled happily, lifting the necklace up to sniff.

"This is amazing!" she laughed, eying the food. "You cooked bacon!'

Jacob looked down sheepishly at the plate of bacon that only contained a few measly strips. "Yeah, uh…I burnt a few…and then I ate a few…but I saved you some!"

She laughed, touching his arm. A spark of heat was exchanged between them, and she felt her heart speed up. "Its fine," she assured him, lifting the cover on the other dish.

"What's this? Oh! Eggs," she said, grabbing a fork. She dug in, taking a bite of the scrambled eggs he had prepared for her. Noticing his skeptical look, she paused, chewing slowly.

"What's wrong, Jake? Eat!" she said, nudging him. He smiled tentatively, his dark eyes still unsure.

"You like this?" He asked. She nodded, putting an arm around his wide shoulders as she chewed.

"Of course! What's not to like? You made me my favorite – eggs, and then you made me a pretty necklace? What more could a girl want?" she giggled, scooping up another forkful.

"Just asking," he said, popping a piece of the star fruit into his mouth. She chewed more eggs, watching him eat uneasily.

"Jake," she said softly, setting her fork down. She pressed her palm to his face, opening her connection with him. Images of their picnic on the beach flooded his mind as she showed him her surprise, delight, and appreciation for what he had done for her.

"You really like it?" he asked softly once she pulled her hand away. She gulped, glancing down at his bare chest. Would she ever get used to seeing him frolicking around in the sun, his golden skin glowing like a piece of bronze? She wasn't sure.

"I love it," she said, gently fingering her lei. He nodded cockily, handing her the last piece of bacon.

"Last piece, just for you," he said in a mock suave voice, handing her the slightly burnt, crispy bacon. She accepted it, knowing full well that bacon was one of Jacob's all time favorites.

'_Fried pork fat? _He used to say, _'what's not to like?'_

Turning it over in her fingers, she carefully broke it in half and handed half to him, popping the other part in her mouth.

"For you," she said between chews, holding back her laugh. He accepted it, eating it happily. They both chewed and swallowed, and she realized his face was suddenly serious.

"What?" she asked. He pressed his slightly chapped lips together.

"I love that you're here with me," he said. The words _'and not with him'_ were unspoken, but clearly hung in the air. Her smile faded as she thought of Stefan for the first time since landing on the island. What was he doing right now? Was he happy? Was he with Isadora, hopefully having his love returned? She hoped with all her heart that he was.

"Of course I'm here with you. There's no one else I would want to be here with," she finally said. He looked up, his chest puffing out slightly with pride, his eyes brightening.

"Jake…it's you. I…It was hard to see at first, and…and I faltered, but…in my mind it was always you," she said softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. Jacob looked down into her brown eyes, finding himself feeling suddenly very complete. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he could still hear the foggy human voice of Bella Swan.

"_It's him, Jacob. Edward…it's just…It's always been him. It will always be him."_

The thought of that day didn't even bother him one bit anymore. Because here he was, with a girl that was a thousand times more perfect for him than Bella Swan, and she was telling him that he had always been her choice.

"You mean it?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion. She nodded, biting her lip. In one swift motion, he crashed his lips against hers. He was her choice, and she was his. Forever.

His lips moved effortlessly with hers as they kissed. It felt like neon buzzers were simultaneously going off in their heads. _Made for each other!_ He grasped her face between his hands, and then slid them back to weave into her still wet, coppery locks.

How was it possible that one person could be so perfect for him? Years of being her friend and protector let him know that they were compatible that way, but now to find out that they also worked in a romantic way pleased him to his core. Being anywhere near her gave his heart such happiness that he could hardly believe his luck. She sighed into his mouth as his tongue met with hers, and her hands instinctively went up to rest on his muscled neck. He groaned and relished the feeling of her skin against his, and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have more of that skin pressed against his…

He shifted against her, leaning forward into their deep, opened mouthed kisses. When he felt her heart rate speed up and her body tense, he pulled back and left her breathless.

"Why did you stop?" she asked, blinking her wide brown eyes. He paused, smiling cockily.

"Had to let you catch your breath," he said smoothly. The truth was that he didn't want to push her too far too fast; he had waited years for this, and he wasn't going to mess it up now. He wanted to savor their time together on the island and remember it forever. She swatted at him, and he laughed. He was sure that she knew exactly why he stopped; he wanted to take things slow with her.

He handed her a bottle of water, and she drank from it as she watched his face.

"Hey…do you wanna go for a swim?" he asked suddenly. Her face lit up at the idea of swimming with Jacob like they used to when she was little, and she nodded.

Without warning, he jumped up and grabbed her arms, slinging her over his shoulders. She squealed with joy and let him run with her down to the surf. His cargo shorts were instantly soaked as he charged into the blue, shimmering water. Once they were out a fair distance from the shore, he flipped her over his shoulders so that he was holding her in his arms.

"Wanna really swim?" he asked, his dark eyes sparkling. Renesmee looked at up at him, nodding. He set her down and without words they both dove into the surf. The mid-morning sunlight shone into the deep blue water, making it easy for both of them to see. The water was shallow and clear, allowing them to see all the fish and ocean life that surrounded them.

They swam out a mile or two, Jacob taking breaks to breathe ever so often. She would laugh underwater and point at him jokingly for having to take breaths. Renesmee could hold her breath underwater for ten times as long as he could, and she never let him forget it.

When they finally reached the vibrant coral reef, they took their time exploring and playing with the fish. Jacob got stung by the sea anemones several times, much to his chagrin. He had trouble remembering that something so beautiful would sting him so badly. Renesmee giggled underwater as they moved effortlessly in the endless blue, playing and exploring.

When they finally walked back up onto the beach, he splashed her playfully in the surf. Renesmee gave him an evil laugh and made her hand hit the water at her knees with such contact that it sent a mini tidal wave careening at him.

"Hey!' he laughed, shielding himself. She snorted, darting out of the way of his hand.

"Oh, you wanna play, huh?" He asked, crouching down. She centered herself, squaring her shoulders at him from a few feet away. This was a game they had always played together when she was young. It had all started when she asked who would win a fight between a werewolf and a vampire, and Jacob had challenged a young Nessie to a play fight to find out.

They would wrestle around in the surf or meadow or wherever they happened to be at the time, running and dodging each other. He of course would stay in human form, playfully snapping his teeth and growling at her. When she was a child, the game was how they ended most hunts together. He would always let her win, claiming that she had 'saved the honor of vampires everywhere by defeating the meanest Alpha there ever was'.

Today however…that game was much different. His original plan was to ignite a play fight between them to remind her of how things used to be – natural, easy, and fun. He didn't want to let any of their nerves stand in the way of what had the potential to be a building block for their adult relationship. Of course, if it didn't happen on Isle Esme….he didn't know what he would do.

Besides wait.

As he watched her laugh and squeal in delight while they played in the surf, he found himself falling in love with her all over again. Just watching her smile and grit her teeth and playfully splash him with saltwater reminded him of what was at stake. Her frilly, revealing bathing suit didn't hurt things either. The pretty coral color of the fabric stood out against both the blue ocean and her pale skin, igniting thoughts in his brain that shouldn't be there. Or should they?

_Keep it in your pants, _his mind growled at him._ Drooling over her will only make this harder. _

His plan was working, unbeknownst to Renesmee. She had woken up that morning and been a little bit apprehensive about being alone on the island with him, but all of that was quickly disappearing as the hours ticked by. They had been swimming all morning, and their spontaneous 'vampires vs. werewolves' fight in the shallow blue water had only solidified her decision to come there. This was what they needed.

"Oh god…I'm tired now," she laughed, trudging out of the water. Jacob followed, shaking out his shaggy hair. She felt her heart rate speed up as she watched the droplets of water slide off the ends of his black strands, falling down his tan chest. His coppery skin was already reacting to the tropical sun, making him turn an even more alluring color of warm brown.

"That's the beauty of being here. We can take a nap later if you want," he offered.

_Together?_ She wondered silently.

"I'm all sandy," he chuckled, trying to brush the sand off his arms and legs with the small towel he had grabbed that morning.

"Shower," she said simply, grabbing his hand. He followed, confused for a moment.

"Oh, I forgot about this," he said, spying the outdoor shower next to the small tool shed. The small building was nearly hidden; it was beside the pool and covered by hibiscus plants and miniature palm trees, but behind it was an outdoor shower for washing off after the beach.

Renesmee skipped up to the makeshift shower stall, untying the course fabric of the shower curtain. His heart skipped an entire beat as she pulled him in with her, a wicked grin decorating her features. She pulled the curtain around them, enclosing them in the tight space as she turned on the water. It shot out of the faucet icy cold and hard.

"Yikes!" She yelped in surprise, fumbling with the knobs. "That water was cold, even to me!"

He chuckled nervously, letting his hands find her arms. He rubbed them up and down, unsure of what she wanted him to do. They were there…in the shower…together. He wasn't entirely sure what the right etiquette was for something like this.

Renesmee wasn't taking her chances.

"Kiss me," she commanded flirtatiously, taking advantage of her moment of bravery.

Water dripped down off his face and hair as he bent down to place his lips against hers, moving repeatedly against their soft surface.

Renesmee gripped his neck gently between her palms, holding herself up on her tip toes as they kissed under the jets of water. She could hear the waves back at the beach as they crashed up onto the shore, but already their morning swim was at the back of her mind. Her hands stayed on his neck as he moved his face, sliding the tip of his nose down her cheek and to her neck. She bit her lip as he began to suck on the sensitive skin below her ear.

While his mouth nipped and sucked, she couldn't help but close her eyes in ecstasy and think about what she had seen on the beach. Jacob had looked like nothing short of an Adonis as he had stepped out of the ocean, his bronze skin glowing.

Concentrating, she could still imagine the shine of the water droplets against the sun as they dripped down his perfectly chiseled chest, falling into the concave valleys of his abs. Then down…further…

She whimpered in defeat as his lips stopped moving, and he pulled back to look down at her.

"Ness…."

"What?" she asked, standing up on her tip toes again. Pressing her lips against his, she frowned as his remained still. She touched her nose to his, straining to get him to continue what he had been doing. She was enjoying it so much…

"What was that?"

She groaned, moving her hands down his pecs, her fingertips ghosting over his stomach. When he still didn't respond, she dropped her hands down to her side as the streams of water continued to slide down their bodies in the tiny outdoor shower.

"What you just showed me. I…I saw me…but…I…I feel funny," he whispered, his brown eyes spacing out.

She looked down at her hands and gasped, realizing she had had her hands on his neck and collar bone when she had been thinking about how sexy and smoldering he had looked to her while coming out of the water that afternoon. Those were not…best friend thoughts. Those were completely erotic, lust-filled, hormone ridden thoughts. And he had just seen all of them.

"Uh…oops," She said, wincing. The streams of water hitting the concrete floor of the shower were the only sound as they stood there in silence.

"It's…it's okay. It…it was great actually. I mean…oh…" he scrunched up his face as he always did when he was deep in thought, trying to find the right words. "Minus the fact that I was looking at myself, which was weird as it always is…but…I felt…good."

"Good?"

He winced, grumbling a sigh. "Uh…yeah. Like…_good_," he said, raising his eyebrows at her.

She understood. Minus the fact that he had been seeing himself, he had actually felt her lusty feelings. He had felt how she felt about him seeing him like that.

"I…didn't know I could…pass that kind of feeling along. I didn't know it worked that way."

Jacob heaved another nervous sigh, hooking his thumbs in the waist of his drenched cargo shorts. "You and me both, kid."

Renesmee frowned. "Wait…kid? Is that how you think of me?"

"Well…no, Ness, that's just what I…"

She gaped at him with an incredulous look on her face, no believing her ears. Ripping the shower curtain aside, she stormed away with vampire speed, leaving him in the outdoor shower with the water running. Taking off, she quickly made her way around the house, dashing up the beach towards the small, wooded jungle.

How dare he! He still thought of her as a 'kid' after all this time! She wanted to break something she was so irritated. Here they were, on this island alone together and he screws up an already awkward moment by calling her 'kid'. _Why couldn't it have been something appropriate to their situation, like 'baby' or something of that manner?_ She thought, her thoughts fuming.

As the palm leaves and bushes brushed past her, she realized that there wasn't really a protocol for their relationship at the moment. They were standing on the brink of two cliffs, with a giant canyon between them. On one side, there was friendship. On the other, was a different kind of friendship. It was…companionship. Love…a relationship. A relationship like the one she craved so badly.

On one hand, she wanted to keep the friendship they had had for so many years before all of this started, and yet…she wanted to add to it. Was it selfish to only want to add to the relationship they already had, and not take anything away? The need to add other aspects to it was overwhelming.

She found herself at the top of the cliff where they had come the night before and she had thought talked everything out. All their issues had seemed somewhat resolved after last night, and now…now things seemed more of a mess than ever.

Sitting down, she began to drag her fingernail through the top of the gritty soil that covered the cliff, letting her legs dangle over the edge.

_Stop taking everything so seriously…you're ruining it_, she mentally told herself. The longer she sat and thought about why she had gotten so mad, the harder it was to remember. He hadn't meant anything by it; she knew that. The look on his face when she had gotten upset had told her that.

_You're really upset because you just embarrassed yourself with your stupid lusty pictures_, she thought with a scowl. She was instantly ashamed of herself for taking her embarrassment out on Jake. He didn't deserve that.

Standing, she brushed her coppery locks out of her face and looked in the direction of home. The need to be with Jacob was suddenly overwhelming.

By the time she dashed back to the beach where the house sat, she could smell his scent as the light breeze blew across the blue water. He was still outside. Looking around, her toes curled into the white powder as her nose tried to decide what direction he had gone. Movement near the garden startled her, but she quickly saw what it was. It was Jacob, in the hammock, rocking back and forth in the breeze.

She was at his side in an instant. Looking down, she saw that he was asleep, snoring softly in the woven swing, his arms crossed over his tan chest and his feet crossed as well. It moved in the breeze, keeping him fast asleep even with her return. He looked so comfortable, but also welcoming at the same time.

Being careful, she crawled into the hammock with him and curled herself around the side of his body. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, but she wasn't entirely sure that he had woken up to do so. It was just a natural reaction she supposed.

Placing her ear over his heart, she let the steady thumping noise and the warm ocean breeze lull her to sleep in the mid afternoon shade.

It felt like she had only blinked when she opened her eyes next. Stretching, she sighed and looked over her shoulder to find the sun. Frowning, she realized that it must be closer to five or six. How long had she been asleep?

"Morning," Jacob said, his tone teasing. She lifted her head from his chest, giving him a sleepy look.

"What time is it?" she asked, shielding her eyes against the light. Yawning, she looked up at him and he appeared wide awake.

"'Bout five. Maybe five thirty."

She felt her cheeks redden as she used his chest to push herself up into a sitting position. She hadn't left under the best conditions; it was strange to wake up next to him like this. Would he be upset with her?

"I'm not upset."

Renesmee's eyes widened and she glanced down at her palm on his chest. She jerked her hand up and clasped it against her chest, her eyes still wide. He reached up, running a warm hand down her arm.

"It's okay," he assured her in a soothing voice. She looked down at him guiltily.

"It never used to work like that. It used to just be faces. Now its necks…chests apparently…maybe even arms," she mused, shrugging. Jacob lay on the hammock beneath her, looking up at her. His gaze was unalarmed. It was forgiving, accepting even.

"It's okay. Ness…you're not gonna upset me. It's hard to be different, and…I'd never hold that against you, honey." He moved his hand down her arm again, and she felt her resolve wavering. Leaning back down, she nestled her face in his neck and breathed in his soothing scent of fresh mountain rain, cedar and spice.

"How can you smell like home when you've been here for over a day?" she asked him.

He shrugged, wrapping his arm around her. "It's a Jake thing," he mused, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Jake. I know you didn't mean it like that."

He sighed again, pausing. "I…I knew. That's why I didn't come after you. I wanted…to give you some space. I thought you needed it."

"I did," she agreed. "How did you know that?"

He laughed softly to himself, the sound rumbling in her ear that was pressed against his chest. "Call me crazy but…I'm starting to understand that it's an imprint thing."

"Really?" she asked, turning further on her side so that she could see his side profile. He smiled, his lips pulling back from his teeth, and she marveled at the way his white teeth glowed in the late afternoon sunlight that streamed through the palm trees above them.

"Yeah. I mean…as ironic as it was, even when you were in Denali and I was at school, I...I could tell when you were upset. I could _feel_ it. I just thought I was feeling miserable at first until Sam explained it to me one day. The older you got, the easier it was for me to feel what you were feeling. And…earlier…I just…I knew you needed space," he explained finally.

She felt her heart swell with warmth and love for Jacob in that moment.

"I did need you," she admitted softly. "I really did."

"I know. I was too stubborn."

She smiled to herself. "You mean like I was being earlier?" she asked sheepishly. Pressing her palm to his neck, she showed him her own silliness as she stormed out of the shower and the look on his face when she ripped the curtain back.

"It's okay."

"No it's not. I was embarrassed and I acted like a baby. I…I can't throw a fit every time I get upset. I'm sorry, Jake, I really am."

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault your hands show…uh…stuff," he mumbled the last few words. "I can't get upset about your private thoughts…especially when you show them by accident."

"It just…it's all so new. They never used to work like this before."

"I wondered about that…"

"About what?"

"Well…if they would change and get stronger, like Bella's. With practice. I wondered about that while you practiced fighting. I kinda guessed that you would…get better at it, I guess?" he laughed.

"Well…I did," she huffed, holding a hand above her face. She scowled up at it, as if she was scolding it.

"Ness, babe…it's okay. You gotta understand that I don't care. I mean…it was kinda cool."

"It was?"

He nodded, his chin gently bouncing against her head. "Yeah. I mean…I got to see what you feel like when you…see me."

Her cheeks grew hot, even against his warm skin. "Sometimes when I see you," she laughed.

"Oh, okay well fine," he chuckled, raising his free hand up. He stroked her hair, letting the coppery ringlets wind themselves in his fingers.

"Well…I'm curious. Can you show me something else? Like a feeling?"

"I've always shown you stuff," she said, her tone laced with indignance.

He laughed again. "Well…but now that you're better at it I'm curious," he admitted. "Please?"

Jacob tilted his head so that he could look into her eyes, and his expression was pleading. She rolled her eyes, placing her hand on his collar bone.

"What do you want to see?" she asked.

He shrugged, jostling her head as it lay on his shoulder. "I don't care. Anything."

She snorted, but complied. Closing her eyes, she showed him a picture of standing in the powdery white sand of Isle Esme, the waves coming up to barely touch her toes. She added the familiar coconut lime smell that belonged distinctly there, letting warmth touch his face and a hot breeze blow across his cheeks. Then, she added a wave of calm.

Jacob began to breathe deeper, his heart rate slowing down. "Oh…oh, that's nice," he said, closing his own eyes and raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You're getting good," he said, pulling her tighter against his chest.

She giggled, readjusting her hand. Over the next few minutes, she began to show him different things. The feeling of security as she laid in her bed in Edward and Bella's cottage; how soft her bed was, how safe she felt with her parents' home, and how she loved hearing him snore in wolf form under her window. Then, she showed him the exhilarating feeling of running through the mossy forest, the trees whipping against her face as her body launched itself between the trees.

Then…she got an idea. Smirking to herself, she pressed her hand back to his chest and showed him another image. Something different that he certainly wouldn't be expecting.

Racing through the forest, all senses alert and on the lookout for something specific. Searching, smelling, looking…thirsting for something to drink. She showed him how the skin on her throat would start to crawl, tingling and aching for relief. Slowly, the little embers lining the throat would ignite, and with each swallow they would steadily increase until they were roaring flames. They crackled in protest, begging for blood to quench their heat…

She watched as Jacob's eyes glazed, and he sucked in a violent breath. He began to swallow, a natural reaction to feeling thirst. It would seem like swallowing saliva would lessen the burn, but in reality she knew all too well that it would only make it worse.

"Oh god," he panted, his hand reaching over to grip her leg. She panicked, immediately pulling her hand back.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped, closing the connection. Jacob blinked, sitting up quickly in the hammock. He looked around, his black eyes wild as he struggled to get his bearings back.

"What was that?" he whispered, looking slowly over at her.

She winced, holding her hand against her chest. "Sorry…I didn't mean for it to be…that bad…"

"What on earth was it though?"

She gulped. "Thirst."

He nodded, looking away. "Wow. I had no idea. No wonder…is that bad thirst?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"No, no…it's fine," he said, blinking again a few times. "It's good that I can…understand now," he replied softly. Bringing his hand up, he let the back of it slide down her cheek. "I wanted to know what that felt like. How it is…for you."

"Really?"

Jacob sat up in the shaky hammock, wrapping his arms around her. She let him pull her down, and soon they were lying back down on the material, swinging gently.

"Ever since Bella…was changed. I was always curious. When I invited Charlie over after you were born…Edward said that being near Charlie would be like having hot pokers shoved down her neck. I never really believed him until now."

"S'not so bad," she shrugged, running the tip of her finger over his chest. She smiled against his skin as goose bumps began to rise up.

"I feel bad that you suffer like that," he admitted after being silent for a few moments. Renesmee shrugged again.

"I didn't show it to you so that you'd pity me. I just wanted to show you how good I've gotten at _showing_," she laughed.

He chuckled, running his hand down her arm as she lay next to him, curled around his form. "You used to just ask me questions and show me pretty pictures," he laughed. "Things are changing, Ness, and for once…I really like it."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well, I gave you a somewhat happy ending at the end of a long, practically double sized chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm hard at work on the next chapter, and so hopefully the wait won't be long on this one. It's all really starting to come together, so I'm really happy about that.

To all my reviewers last time, ya'll are awesome! You all totally get that I wouldn't just throw them together on the island to hump like bunnies right away because, well…that's just not my Jake and Ness. The teasing is almost at an end - I will deliver. That's all I'm gonna say ; )

BIG NEWS! I um, started a blog? Lol. It's all very new, but it's all about my fanfic and the fanfic of those I know, so please check it out! I will post teasers, fic recs, pictures from chapters, articles, and much more. Coming later this week is a detailed look at my take on the Isle Esme house that I describe in Untouchable – So look for that! : )

Blog: http:/twilightcakestwific(DOT)blogspot(DOT)com/ - remember to replace the (dots).

I heard from a lot of new people last time – that was awesome! I love you all and love hearing your thoughts as the story draws to an almost close. A few more things have to happen *ahem* yet, but I still would love to hear from you.

Review!


	44. Seeing Fireworks

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time  
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you  
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you  
Baby I'm a man maybe I'm a lonely man  
Who's in the middle of something  
That he doesn't really understand

Baby I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman  
Who could ever help me  
Baby won't you help me understand

_Maybe I'm Amazed – Paul McCartney_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You know the bad thing about being here?" she asked him.

"Uh…nothing?" he answered, looking up from his reading. She rolled her eyes as he read over the magazine she had bought at the airport. The past few hours in the hammock had been just what they needed, for the tension between them was so thick that it was practically tangible. They had come to an unspoken agreement that they were to tip-toe around each other when it came to anything remotely sexual. He chose to sleep on the couch, and she held her claim on the blue bedroom on the other end of the house. It was an arrangement that was quickly wearing on both sets of nerves.

"No. No one to cook for us. Esme cooked for me at home, and in Denali, Carmen always cooked because she wanted to learn. Jake…I can't cook," Renesmee said as if she was having an epiphany.

He guffawed loudly, his loud rumbling laugh echoing in the kitchen. "You're ridiculous. Seven and a half years old and you can't cook a darn thing!"

She frowned, slamming the refrigerator door shut. It was later that evening, and their rumbling stomachs had brought them in from the hammock. Renesmee had put herself in charge of finding them some food.

"I wonder if the TV gets the Food Network?" she wondered absently, glancing at the TV in the corner of the kitchen. Jacob made a face but went back to reading. She laughed when she realized what he was perusing so intently.

"Are you really so deeply engrossed in my Cosmopolitan that you're barely concerned with dinner?" she giggled, looking over her shoulder.

Jacob looked up, tearing his eyes away from the pages. "What? It's…interesting to see what girls read about."

"You never read my stuff before."

He smirked, raising on eyebrow. "Yeah, but you never read Cosmo until now. You're used to reading boring books that Edward or Carlisle give you…this is the first time you've read something so…womanly," he admitted.

She laughed. "Well, I mainly slept on the plane. I didn't really even get a chance to look at it much I'm afraid. It must be pretty interesting stuff for you to pass up food."

He turned another few pages as she scoured the kitchen for something to make; his eyes growing wide as he looked at the pages of the racy magazine for women. "You…uh...prolly don't need to read this."

"Alright, '_Dad_'," she replied snidely, making his eyes bulge open.

"Hey!" he growled, his gruff voice echoing in the large, white kitchen. Renesmee snickered.

"Well, if you don't like it then don't judge what I chose to read. I'm a woman now," she laughed, a tinge of indignance in her tone.

Jacob glanced back down at the magazine in his hands, and she swore she saw his cheeks turn a little pink as his dark eyes scanned the pages. "I just…it's just weird," he admitted, glancing up at her with an expression of guilt.

"Well it's stuff I want to know."

"For what?" He asked choked before thinking about her answer. Renesmee raised one eyebrow at his question, but ignored it. She didn't need to answer.

"It's just…mature stuff," he grumbled, glancing back down at the magazine.

"How would you know?" she scoffed.

"Hey, I might not look it, but I'm old."

Renesmee's face softened. Jake's age had always been a tender subject between the two of them. He hated that he was older, and she hated that she was younger. It was no secret that Renesmee has idolized her best friend and had wanted to be the same age as him, even as a little girl. "You're not old. Being in your twenties is not old."

"I'm old enough," he said with a heavy sigh."

"Quit whining," she chided him gently. It was more to reassure him than to get him to stop feeling sorry for himself. "Now what do you want to eat, old man?"

Jacob growled and ignored her question, returning his attention back to her magazine.

She laughed, pulling out the ingredients for omelets. "I can do omelets," she explained with a shrug. He looked up briefly and nodded, seeming contented with her choice.

_If I'm happy, he's happy,_ she reminded herself.

"You sure you're okay with eggs for dinner?" she asked skeptically. A feeling of inadequacy suddenly settled over her. She should be able to make him a meal if she was such an adult.

Jacob leaned back in his stool at the counter. "I will be if you add bacon," he sang in a high voice, crossing his legs as he turned through another page. Giggling, she watched as his cheeks pooled with blood, turning them a dark crimson.

"What is it?"

He looked up, stunned. "Uh…" Flipping the magazine closed, he pushed it aside. "Are you _sure_ you should be reading that?"

"Jake…" she said, batting her eyelashes sweetly. "I'm technically what…eighteen… maybe nineteen by now? I think I can read Cosmo. It's designed for women my age," she laughed, tossing a few strips of bacon onto the warming skillet in front of her. It sizzled, filling the white kitchen with the pleasant aroma of sizzling meat.

He eyed it again, his blush retreating from his cheeks. "Okay," he said slowly. She watched him turn his attention toward the stove, sniffing. "How's that bacon coming along?"

Renesmee smiled, feeling her heart swell with affection for him. "Oh Jake…some things never change."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After they had eaten eggs and bacon for the second time that day, Jacob suggested a swim. The house had a pool and a hot tub that they barely used, even on previous visits with her family. The ocean was far more exciting to explore, so she had only been in the pool a few times. Between the lagoon with a waterfall and the ocean, there were plenty of places to swim; however, tonight he was hoping for something a bit calmer.

He knew that Renesmee was his best friend; however, he felt like his best friend had vanished when she had grown up so quickly. In her place was a full grown woman. She had grown and changed so much in the short time he was away that he felt like he almost needed to get to know her again – this time as an adult. It seemed like they were on the same level now maturity wise. She was still playful and kind, just as she had been when she was a child, but now he could tell that it was different. They had more things in common and more to talk about outside of her life with her family and his time with his pack. She had grown up, and he desperately wanted to know that side of her. He didn't want to leave anything out now that fate had given him a second chance with her.

He listened against the door of the bedroom as Renesmee rifled through her suitcase, preparing to change for their swim. He donned his own pair of brand new swimming trunks - a courtesy of Alice. Even after years of knowing the pixie, he still wasn't used to all these new clothes. The only thing that pacified him was the fact that Alice and Esme always donated their lightly used clothes to either Goodwill or shelters that needed them. Even if they were vampires, they took charity towards others quite seriously which pleased him.

Sighing, he flipped on the outside lights as he looked out the kitchen windows at the backyard. The palm trees swayed gently in the breeze around the pool, the soft glow of the lighting reflecting off of them onto the water. It rippled gently in the wind, sparkling even in the dark. It looked like paradise…what he wouldn't give to have it feel like paradise.

_Renesmee is in my arms…kissing her, holding her, touching her…_his thoughts began to take very different turn as he stared out at rippling water of the pool.

_Cool it, _he chided himself mentally. He stepped outside the glass doors and was instantly greeted by a wall of heat and the smell of sand and saltwater.

_They didn't waste any money on this place. Esme sure does know how to do it up right_, he thought to himself as he surveyed the area.

And she had. The pool was placed in the back of the house, sheltered and private from the rest of the backyard. It was placed a few steps off the back patio and was absolutely gorgeous, even he had to admit. It was long and rectangular with the hot tub placed directly in the middle of it. The sides were lined with shiny, beautiful glass tiles, giving it an exotic resort feel, or at least that's what it made him think of. The hibiscus bushes and palm trees were planted all around it, giving it a closed off, secluded oasis look.

Walking over to the fridge, he pulled out can of Coke and poured it and some ice into the first plastic cup he could find.

"Silly glass everywhere..." he muttered. The Cullens were quite fond of anything breakable and at times, he felt like a bull in a china shop.

He sipped the drink as he waited, looking around. Suddenly, he had an idea. It didn't take him long to find the alcohol, adding some rum to his Coke was a tasty addition. He didn't normally drink, especially after the Carly fiasco at school, but here…here it felt okay. This _was_ a vacation after all.

He looked up when she entered the kitchen. She wore another one of her swimsuit cover ups like she had that morning, and he both loved and hated them. He loved them for covering up her body in a bathing suit so that he wouldn't be tempted to look at her and have to hide his excitement. He hated it _because_ it hid her body in a bathing suit. He couldn't win sometimes.

"What's that?" Renesmee asked, spying the foreign looking bottle on the counter. Jacob winced.

"Uh…rum."

"Rum?" she asked, walking over to the counter. Picking it up, she sniffed it delicately. "This doesn't smell familiar…"

"It's spiced," he admitted. "Must be from around here, I don't recognize it. The cleaning crew must have stocked it when they brought the food before we got here."

"Oh," she said, eyeing it. "Can I have some too?"

Jacob looked at her sideways. He really hadn't planned on getting caught having a drink. It was just that the stress from behaving himself around Renesmee the past few days had really gotten to him, and he really just wanted to have a quick drink or two to relax. In all honestly, it probably wouldn't do that much for him - his body burned off the alcohol too quickly. But he didn't mind the taste of rum, and it was nice to feel like a real adult sometimes by having a drink or two.

"Come on. You said you drank in college," she poked at him. He sighed, resting his hands out on the counter in front of him.

"Yes I did, and it was stupid. I shouldn't have done it, and I regretted everything I did when I did drink."

_Crap. _He knew his stupid drunken tryst with Carly was going to come up sooner or later.

"I know what you mean," she admitted quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Wait, what?"

"It's nothing, just…Damon…" she mumbled, fiddling with the towel that hung on the refrigerator handle.

"Ness…what didn't you tell me?"

She sighed, looking up at him, wincing slightly. "Promise not to be mad?"

"Tell me," he stated gruffly, staring at the tile floor. He couldn't look at her right now; he didn't want her to see the look on his face when she told him the news. He knew that it couldn't be good from the tone of her voice when she brought it up.

"You have to promise. Don't get mad."

Jacob growled, and she stomped her foot and growled back. Her motion made him crack an unwilling smile, and she eventually smiled too.

"You promise?"

"Promise," he muttered, clenching his fists. He already knew that he wasn't going to like whatever she was about to tell him.

Pausing, she tried to think of a way to tell Jacob what had happened in Vancouver with Damon. Unfortunately, the words, _'I let Damon get me drunk off my ass' _didn't really seem fitting. Instead, she walked over to stand in front of him and placed her hand on his cheek.

Images swirled in front of his eyes - _a seedy, dark looking bar that wreaked of tequila…a club with pounding bass, bright lights and martini cocktails…_

"Wait, he took you to a bar?" he asked, pulling her hand away. She nodded, biting her lip as he squeezed her hand in his. He felt rage for the vampire that now dwelled halfway across the world under the care of Aro. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to rip him to pieces.

_I should have when I had the chance, _he thought bitterly. Turmoil and rage swirled inside his chest, threatening to overcome him. The heat of an oncoming phase shot through his veins, taunting him as he fought to overcome his anger about what Damon had pushed his imprint into doing. He had taken her to a bar and gotten her drunk, only to basically taunt her about her possible fertility.

_I can't let Damon hang over us any longer. He's gone now, and he's not coming back. And if he does...I'll kill him. _Staring off into space, he lifted his imprint's hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. No harm would ever come to her again; he would make sure of that.

"Are you mad?"

"I'm angry…but…not at you. He... should have known better, but he's a piece of…well, he's vile, and I'm not surprised."

"I know," she admitted, squeezing his hand. He kissed it again and then pulled her into a hug.

"I'm not upset with you, Ness. I'm glad you showed me."

"You swear?"

"Swear. I…I don't really need this anyway," he admitted, looking over at his glass as it began to sweat on the counter. The ice had made it frost up, and he shook his head at it.

"I don't mind. At all. Will it even do much? I mean, I thought you said-"

"Not really. I just like to - don't laugh - it makes me feel grown up sometimes. I dunno. It won't get me drunk; I have to drink a LOT to get drunk but sometimes one drink is nice."

"Oh."

"Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"No," she admitted. "I kind of want one."

He looked at her, clearly surprised. He could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't sure about admitting it to him, and he tried not to act too shocked. "But I thought you…it felt like you hated it."

"I did…with him." Her eyes flicked up to meet his and he gulped nervously. "It would be different since it's you. I'm not afraid of what could happen with you, Jake. I know you'll take care of me like you always do."

Jacob stared at her, completely shaken but in a good way. That was probably one of the single sexiest moments they had had. To hear her admit that she preferred doing something with him over one of those fancy shmancy bloodsuckers was easily one of the best things he had ever heard her utter.

"You're old enough, Nessie. At least in this part of the world, that is. If you want to have a drink with...me, then…that's fine. It's up to you," he stated. She stared at him, her eyebrows rising in pleasant surprise. Her elegant neck arched as she raised her chin up.

"Thank you, Jacob," she said simply, a smile dancing on her lips. He nodded, picking up his glass. Renesmee picked one up for herself, filled it with ice, and looked at him expectantly. He nudged the rum closer to her on the counter, and she grinned and picked it up. _She was testing me_, he thought.

She poured hesitantly, and he helped her pour some in. Then, she added Coke to it and looked at it hesitantly.

"Don't drink it if you don't want it," he reminded her. She smiled, putting the glass to her lips to take a tiny sip.

"It's good. Now…let's go visit that pool, shall we?" she asked, raising one eyebrow. He chuckled, placing one hand on her back as she turned towards the pool. He followed her out the glass doors onto the small patio, flipping on another set of lights. The pool glowed in the dim ocean night, reminding him even more of a hidden oasis.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her remove the thin dress, revealing the bathing suit she had underneath. His inner wolf stirred; the animal side of him was quickly growing impatient with his clumsy, fumbling, unsure virgin-side. The two butted heads to say the least, leaving Jacob with a headache most of the time.

_Damn you Alice…and bless you at the same time, _he fumed silently as he surveyed her bathing suit choice for that night. It was another two-piece, and it gave him another reason to be glad that they were on the island alone. He couldn't imagine her wearing that in front of anyone else but him. He could remember her sixth birthday party with the slip-n-slide in the backyard where she had donned her first two-piece and had gotten attention from his pack in _that _way. Jacob wasn't a fan of that whole incident. But this…this was actually nice. He knew that he would have to fight to maintain control of himself around her. She wasn't making it easy.

"Stop staring, Jacob," she muttered smugly, tossing the flimsy dress to the ground. Jacob blinked once, snapping himself out of the trance that only a bathing suit-clad imprint could put him under.

_I need to get into the pool before she can see what a sicko I really am, _he thought as he felt himself begin to become aroused. All of the teasing and innuendos were really starting to get to him. He frowned at her playfully before diving into the pool head first. He heard her shrieking laughter before he even came up for air. There was a splash behind him, and he realized that she had dove in as well. He came up to breathe; looking around for her but saw nothing. Suddenly, he felt two hands on his shoulders, dunking him back under the water.

"You little rascal," he laughed, returning the favor. As he dunked her, his mind briefly flashed back to a time not too long before…

"_I'm going to dunk you," Renesmee's smooth, high voice proclaimed. Jacob nodded, bobbing up and down with her in the saltwater of the ocean. _

_"Jacob, you don't have to hold me up in the water, I can swim better than you!" the little girl laughed. Jacob gently held her around her waist as they floated in the ocean. They were there to celebrate both Bella and Renesmee's birthday. She would be one years old in a few days. It blew his mind how quickly she was growing; it still made him panic a little, even though he knew she was immortal. The family had agreed to let him come to Isle Esme with them for their vacation, and he and Renesmee had spent the morning at the beach, just the two of them. _

"_I don't want to let you go," he whined playfully as they floated, making a sad face. The little girl laughed, splashing him in the face with a large portion of salt water. He pretended to sputter before laughing with her and letting her go. She bobbed in the water, quickly figuring out how to tread the salty water and float on her own. Renesmee gave him her best little-girl-evil laugh before reaching up and pressing down on his head. She was actually quite strong, although not as strong as he was, but he still pretended to splash and protest as she dunked him. He laughed, coming up for air as she giggled and shrieked in delight. _

"_Dunk me! Dunk me!" she squealed, still treading in the ocean. He chuckled, gently pressing down on her little, coppery head and watching as she bobbed under the water. _

Renesmee came back up, breaking him out of his memory. His eyes snapped to her face, which was now right in front of him as she took a large breath. Water droplets rolled down her face and chest as she stood up, amused that he had dunked her. She was gorgeous. However, it was still a lot to get used to even after all this time. The same little girl that had been his friend was now…well…quite womanly and not at all little.

"Jake?"

"Huh?"

"Are…you okay?" she asked slowly, watching his face carefully. He blinked a few times, trying to remind himself that it wasn't doing himself any good by staring at her blatantly like she was a piece of meat.

_Get it together, _he coached himself silently. "Yeah, uh…just remembering that time we were dunking each other in the ocean," he admitted.

"That was fun. Good practice," she snickered.

He tried not to stare at her as she wrung her hair out, still sputtering and giggling happily. Renesmee waded through the pool to the edge, picking up her drink.

"I think I like rum," she said, testing the beverage.

"I like it too, especially spiced."

She raised her eyebrow suggestively. "You're spicy," she laughed, taking another sip. Jacob snorted at her attempt to be sexy.

"Smooth," he said, reaching for his own drink. The cold, spicy liquid mixed with Coke slid down his throat and was a nice contrast with the muggy air around them.

She held her drink above the water and swam to the deep end of the pool, resting on the small tile ledge that took up one corner. Sitting down, her head and neck were the only part visible over the rippling water. He caught her gaze and something shifted. He wanted to be close to her and to stop with all of this awkward crap.

Swimming over, he grabbed onto the edge of the pool and set his drink down, nudging her to move over.

"Jake, there isn't room for two people on this little ledge," she laughed. He knew she was right but that was what he was counting on. The tile ledge was meant as a seat for one person, not two.

"Guess we'll just have to squeeze," he chuckled, moving onto the ledge with her.

"Hey!" she pouted, although he didn't give her much of a chance to protest. He swung her legs around so that she was sitting sideways in his lap, one of her arms around his shoulders.

"See? We can share," he said, turning to look at her. Her face was just inches from his, and he could smell her sweet breath on his cheek. Renesmee slowly licked her lips before pressing them together, her brown eyes wide as saucers.

"Are you okay?" he asked, mimicking her question from earlier. She nodded, her wet curls hanging down around her face. He sighed, breaking their gaze.

She didn't say anything. The silence hung in the air along with anticipation and nerves. The only sound was that of the waves as they crashed onto the beach behind the barrier of the hibiscus plants and the palm trees.

Finally, she spoke. "Jake…will you just kiss me?"

He looked at her, swallowing his nervousness. There was no reason to be nervous. It was just Nessie.

_In a bikini. In a pool. On his lap…I have GOT to stop psyching myself out about this,_ his thoughts screamed at him.

He turned, his eyes meeting hers, and he pressed his lips hungrily against her. His thoughts ceased to exist as she placed her hand on his cheek, showing him her contentment as his lips moved against hers. His tongue moved to taste hers, and she sighed appreciatively as they met. One hand was around her waist and the other held her on his lap by her knee as they kissed. Subconsciously, his thumb began to trace circles on her side, marveling at how silky her skin felt against his slightly rough hands. Even in the pool water, she felt like silk.

She broke away, her thumb stroking his cheek sweetly. "Thank you," she said.

He nodded almost dutifully, looking down at the rippling blue water beneath them.

Renesmee giggled. "Jake, it's okay to kiss me. Will I always have to ask?"

He shook his head, still staring at the water that came up to his chest. His body felt tense below hers, and she tried to help him relax.

"I'm sorry. It's okay Jake, this is all new. I suppose we have nothing but time to…get used to each other."

He nodded, looking at her. "You're right. I guess I just was worried that it should come more naturally for us…the shift."

"Shift?"

"Yeah…from…friends to…more than friends, you know."

She nodded. "I do. I think it's just been harder for us because we were friends for so long. With Stefan-" She stopped suddenly, pressing her lips together. It had been an accident to bring up his name, and she silently cursed herself.

"You can say it. Stefan," he mused, leaning his head back against the tiles of the pool's edge.

"It's okay…never mind."

"No. Ness, I'm not angry about that anymore. It's in the past, and we can't change it anyway. I used to get upset and then I realized that I just do stupid things when I'm like that. I just…want to put it behind us. But it's okay; really…you won't upset me."

She was silent for a moment, contemplating what was okay to say in a moment like this. On one hand, she didn't want to upset him by making him re-live the hellish weeks they were apart; however, eternity was a long time to keep petty secrets from each other.

His warm hand found hers under the water. "Nessie, if you want to talk about it, you can. If you don't then…maybe you'll tell me someday," he finally said. She glanced at him sideways, biting her lip.

"No, I'll tell you. Honestly, it was different with Stefan. I didn't know any better, and it was different because we didn't have that bond that you and I had. I don't know how to be anything but your friend. With him, I didn't have any history. I didn't have to explain how I felt to him and how different it was. I just acted. Which…looking back now wasn't such a good idea, but…hindsight," she said with a shrug. She placed her palm on Jacob's worried face.

"I'm gonna regret this; I just know it…but anyway…." she trailed off before opening their connection again.

The pictures she showed him blurred and swirled in front of his face, taking him into her own personal mental time machine. She took him back…back to Denali, back to the snow, and back to when she had escaped with Stefan after her seventh birthday party…

_"Stefan…" she muttered, pushing his hands away. He stepped back and clamped them behind his back, smirking at her._

_They had snuck out of the back of the house after her party ended and were pressed against a tree just on the outside of the large lawn. She leaned back against the tree, shivering slightly as the chilly night air was finally starting to get to her in her skimpy dress._

_He gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you actually cold?" he asked in amazement._

_She bit her lip and shrugged. "A little. I am partly human. I can get cold sometimes," she said._

_He frowned, running a hand down her arm again before pulling it back suddenly. "I'm…I'm probably not helping that. I wish I could help keep you warm," he said, his face forlorn. She shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. He stared at her for a second, and then smiled. "Happy Birthday, Renesmee."_

_With that, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers softly. His icy lips made her shiver slightly again as they moved down her face and to her neck. He nuzzled her there, gently grasping her neck as he lightly sucked on the pale skin._

_He's so cold…I…I miss the warmth. The heat…_

_She placed her hands on his chest, bracing herself as he kissed her sensually._

_When Jacob's mouth was on me it was fire. It wasn't cold like this. It was the most delicious heat I've ever felt in my life. I miss him…Jacob…my Jacob… her mind chanted at her as Stefan's icy lips moved across her skin._

_Suddenly, he jumped away from her, his eyes wide. He gasped at her, wide eyed and stunned as if he had just seen a ghost._

_"Heat? Jacob? What the-?"_

_She looked down at her hands, wide eyed and suddenly very fearful. She had slipped; and in the process, she accidentally showed Stefan her lusty thoughts about Jacob while Stefan was kissing her. _

Jacob's eyes refocused as she pulled her hand away. A slow, satisfied grin rose in his cheeks.

"Did that really happen?" he asked quietly, staring at the water.

"You know it did. I just showed you," she said with hint of annoyance in her voice. Stefan or no Stefan, she was still embarrassed.

"That is….awesome."

"Jake!" she said, slapping him on the back of the head. He guffawed loudly despite the smack, his laughter bouncing off the tiles of the pool.

"I don't care what you say. I'm sorry the guy got his feelings hurt but…come on Ness, what you just showed me is every guy's dream come true. Well, you would have been kissing me in the first place, but…that's beside the point."

Renesmee huffed, leaning her back against the edge of the pool. "I didn't show you that so that you could mock him."

"I'm not mocking him, but come on, Ness. That's awesome. I told you I was sorry."

"I know," she sighed, leaning her forehead against his. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck as they sat, both gazing at the ripples that the soft breeze made on the water.

"I wasn't trying to be a dick about that," he swore quietly.

"I know," she repeated, giving him a peck on the lips. He kissed her back sweetly, and she realized that her stomach tightened in the most pleasant way when their lips met. Her heart rate picked up, her chest fluttered with excitement, and her mind would swirl with things that she wanted to have happen between them.

Without thinking, she deepened their kiss and tried her best to push all of her nervousness away. Being nervous just wasn't as important now.

She heard Jacob moan slightly in surprise, shocked at her bold behavior. However, he didn't seem to mind as she sat on his lap and gave him deep, open mouthed kisses.

_You taste amazing… _she said mentally, pressing her hand to his neck while she kissed him. He panted a bit between loving assaults from her mouth, unsure of what to do. Running with her newfound bravery, she began to kiss down his neck, occasionally letting her sharp teeth graze his hot skin. Pleasure rolled over her in waves as she felt goose bumps forming on his neck and arms as she dragged her mouth over him.

"Ness…"

"Hmm?"

"What…"

"Let's go inside, Jacob."

"Ness…"

"Jacob…NOW."

She broke away, and the sudden feeling of being without her mouth on his body was suddenly sobering. She was out of the pool like a dart, drying her body haphazardly and wrapping her skimpy dress around her body in one fluid motion. He quickly followed, although his movements were much more sudden. She wove her fingers into his, dragging him quickly through the doors into the house. Her newfound courage was exhilarating; she never wanted to let it go.

Whirling around, she plastered herself against the doorframe of the living room that was just inside, giving him her best wanton expression. She wanted him to _want_ her.

"Ness..."

"No, no talking. We mess things up when we talk."

"We do?"

"Usually."

"I can't help but..."

"I want to, Jake. Now. This is it."

He swallowed, nearly biting his own tongue off as she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips. Jacob gripped her hips through the soft material of the dress. He watched his fingers move against the fabric there, mesmerized at the thought that he finally got to touch her like this.

"Renesmee…"

"I love it when you say my name like that," she said saucily. He bit back a laugh at her attempt to be sexy, both finding it humorous and appealing at the same time.

"Babe…we…this isn't right."

Her shoulder slumped and she let a breath of air out. "Why?"

He was silent for a moment, thinking. "We've…we've barely done anything, and you just want to jump into it?"

"Don't you?"

He bit his lip to keep from screaming '_God Yes!' and _trying to take her into account before his own needs. It was the hardest thing he had ever done to date; however, he knew that forever was a long time to regret what they were about to do.

"Well, I mean…we've never really even fooled around."

"Exactly. I'll be truthful…as much as I want to…forever is a long time to know that I messed this up for us."

Renesmee's shoulder slumped down even further; the nervousness melting away when she realized that tonight was not going to be the night for them. She was relieved and disappointed all at the same time.

"Sooo…I guess we'll just go to sleep then?" she asked, her voice laced with hopefulness. He knew…he felt how she wanted to do more and certainly not sleep.

"I…I think that's best for now," he said, feeling more like a parent than a boyfriend.

"Okay. But Jake…soon?"

He looked down at her skeptically, his stomach twisting into a knot. "Do you really want to schedule us fooling around? Really?"

She shrugged. "I'd just like a time estimate of how long I'm going to feel like I'm going crazy from all of this pent up-"

"-Okay, okay," he growled, embarrassed. In the dim light of the living room, he realized that she was the only one that was behaving calmly about this - his heart was the one that was racing.

He turned away, walking further into the warmly decorated room. The soothing colors of Esme's decorating expertise did nothing to calm his heightened senses and nervous stomach. He wasn't sure when loving her the way that he did would feel okay, but he hoped it was soon.

"If we're just going to bed…can I have a hug?" she asked inoffensively. He furrowed his brows together, debating her request. It was a simple one, but he knew her well enough to know that there was a motive behind her request. It was useless for him to try to resist; sighing, he bend down, obeying his imprint and giving into her wish. She held out her arms like she did when she was little, a slightly pouty expression decorating her innocent features. He pressed his body gently up against hers, bending down to inhale her scent as he hugged her.

"Goodnight," he murmured into her hair. Her normal scent was mixed with the natural fragrances of the tropical island, making her smell like citrus fruit and coconut.

He pulled away but was slightly surprised when she held him against her, using her strength.

"Ness…"

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" she asked, pulling away slightly to look at him. Her strong, pale arms stayed locked against his neck and for a moment, Jacob briefly wondered which one of them was stronger. Her eyebrow arched suggestively, and his suspicions were confirmed - this was indeed a ruse; however, he didn't really mind.

Jacob pressed his lips together as they stood in the dark living room. The waves crashed on the moonlit beach outside, and he was glad for once that it muffled the sound of his rapidly increasing heartbeat.

"If this is a ploy to get me to do something I shouldn't…"

"It is."

"You know I can't say no to you."

"Works like a charm."

"Ness…"

"Do I get a kiss or not?"

"I guess," he said, bending down to press his lips chastely to hers. She kissed him softly but as he pulled away, she did something she had never done before.

Renesmee tightened her teeth around his bottom lip, letting the razor-like white enamel sink just a fraction of a millimeter into the soft flesh there. She took one little swipe of the blood that pooled there with her pink tongue, savoring the flavor of the tiny drop.

He pulled away; his head spinning slightly with wanton lust for the girl standing in front of him. She widened her brown eyes, pulling a corner of her lip into her mouth to bite it. That move was meant to show her uncertainty for what she had just done, but Jacob interpreted it as seductive.

"That was…"

"What?" she asked, her brown eyes widening.

"Hot," he mumbled though his daze. She felt her confidence surge as she watched his tongue run over the place on the inside of his lip where she had bitten him.

"Kiss me," she said softly, her long eyelashes blinking once. "You can't disobey me," she whispered teasingly. "I'm your imprint. You _have_ to give me what I want," she added.

"I don't have to," he muttered defiantly under his breath.

"You want to," she bantered back.

"True. But…you always get me in trouble."

"That was then, this is now. We're adults. There's no one here to punish you."

"Says you," he laughed.

"Kiss me," she repeated, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. "And _mean_ it."

"You're testing my resolve, _Renesmee_."

"Then mission accomplished, _Jacob," _she countered back again, leaning back against the doorframe of the living room.

He paused, watching her for a moment. He was tired of holding back and playing it safe with her. If this was what she wanted then so be it. She was going to see his wild side; he was going to let the Alpha that was so desperate to please his mate take over. He only hoped that his truly unleashed side wasn't more than she had bargained for.

A spark flickered in his dark eyes as he leaned forward, pressing his mouth against hers. She responded instantly, molding her body to his as her arms tightened even further on his neck, drawing him closer. He pressed her against the doorframe, dipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her sweet, exotic essence. She tasted like Coke mixed with the spiced rum when his tongue caressed hers, yet her familiar candy-like flavor was still present.

Jacob jumped a little as he felt Renesmee hitch her leg over his hip, pressing her warm center against his already hardening arousal. He heard her whine slightly into his mouth as his fingers slid up the underside of her thigh, gripping her leg against his hip. The feeling of her own heat pressed up against his was dizzying; the wolf inside howled with delight as he realized that he was as close to his mate as he was and within reach of pleasing her. While they continued to kiss and tease each other with their mouths, he let his other hand weave itself into her wet, coppery curls, tilting her head back for better access.

She tasted like pure heaven. _If she tastes good here, I wonder what she'll taste like in other places…_

His mind began to wander to delicate places as he stood there, assaulting her lips with his. He pulled her leg even tighter around his hip as she kissed him, eliciting another groan from deep in her chest.

"Oh, Jake," she groaned, breaking their kiss. With his eyes squeezed closed, he focused on the sound of her labored pants of lust as she pressed her hand against his cheek.

_Couch. Now_.

"I think I'm really going to like your little talent even more now," he growled, bending down to scrape his teeth against the shell of her ear. He felt her shiver slightly, and the thoughts pouring through her hand were overcome with an onslaught of nothing but desire for him.

Jacob scooped her up in his arms, one leg on either side of his stomach. He kneaded at her backside with his hands as he carried her the short distance to the couch. This was one instance where he was glad his imprint was quite durable; he let her fall onto the white cushions with a squeal, her pale body illuminated in the dark room. Her skin almost blended with the material of the sofa perfectly; both were the most appealing shade of cream he could have ever imagined. He felt his manhood twitch against the suddenly restraining fabric of the slightly damp swim trunks.

Looking down at her, he could see through the fabric of her thin dress; her peaks were at attention despite the muggy air in the room. In that moment, he knew two things.

Nessie wasn't cold.

Nessie was turned on.

"Jake," she half growled, half whimpered. Her hand reached out for him, her fingers grabbing at the space between them.

It was all he could do to keep his clothes on as he finally bent down to kiss his writhing imprint as she laid on the couch, gasping for breath. Jacob was on top of her now in the most perfect way that he had imagined in his head so many times. Now that he was allowed to be with her in this way his head began to spin with sheer satisfaction and delight.

He tentatively ran his hand down her side as he kissed her, positioning himself in between her legs. His dick had begun to ache at that point; he was completely aroused even though it was pressed against the couch cushions. From his position on top of her he could still feel the heat percolating from her core and onto his stomach. Even through his white shirt and her skimpy sundress, the warmth practically impossible for him to ignore.

She _wanted _him.

Just the thought made him press his mouth against hers even harder. She responded favorably by pressing her hands against his cheeks as he hovered above her, worshiping her lips with his.

He felt her connection open with her gift, and soon he was being shown how she felt while he hovered above her.

_Lusted after. Protected. Wanted. Sexual…_

He paused for a moment to gaze down at her. Another uncontrolled whine escaped from her lips as she moved below him, her hips involuntarily grinding against his stomach.

"Jake," she cried softly, her voice high and pleading. He kissed her again, slow and deep. His tongue swiped at her top lip, and she opened her mouth to let him taste her.

"Oh god…" he muttered, breaking away from her lips. It was getting harder and harder to deny the wolf in him, as the wolf had some pretty good ideas these days. He inhaled deeply; the wolf inside of him practically pacing inside of his head, begging him to just do something already. He was quickly growing impatient.

_Do it,_ it urged him. He would have to fight to maintain control and not completely ravage her.

"What?" she whispered. "Do you want me as much as I want you?" she said softly, looking up at him with curious eyes.

"What?" he repeated, pulling back to look at her. She bit her lip in that seductive yet innocent way again, and he responded by kissing her forcefully, using his hand to tilt her head back again. It didn't matter now. He was too far gone to care about hearing anything but his name coming from her mouth. This was bliss…euphoria. No…_utopia_.

He ran one hand up her side, making her shiver. He grinned against her mouth as he reveled in her body's reaction to him. It didn't matter if they lived forever; he was completely sure that he would never tire of her doing things like that when he touched her, especially like this. Then, like the times before, the scent of her arousal flooded both the room and his senses. He instantly became even harder as his primal need to claim his imprint roared within him.

Her lips stopped moving suddenly, and he paused, lifting his head up to look at her. She pressed her slightly swollen lips together; her eyes searching his for disapproval. Renesmee had never looked more beautiful than she did that moment. Her wet curls were fanned out on the couch cushions below her and her lips swollen from his kisses. Her normally innocent looking brown eyes were now hooded with desire - desire for him.

"Jake…" she said, her voice quite full of insecurity. He felt his stomach drop. Was she changing her mind? Had he gone too fast and scared her? No, this couldn't stop now…they've come too far.

"Hmm?" he asked, dipping his head down to drag his lips against her jaw line. "What's wrong honey? Don't be scared…don't be scared now," he pleaded, placing a trail of hot kisses all the way up her neck and to her ear. He sucked on the sensitive flesh there, teasing her even more.

"I…I…" she stuttered.

"It's fine, babe," he insisted, letting his hand make its way up to cup her breast through her thin dress. Renesmee sighed and twitched pleasantly against him, her hips moving against his stomach again. He knew she was going to say something about the scent of arousal that hung in the room, which they were both suddenly very aware of, but he didn't want to get into that now.

"No," he murmured, letting his lips find her delicate earlobe. Gathering up some courage, he let his nervousness slip away as he gently sucked on the skin just below it, making her squirm.

_Oh my god,_ Renesmee thought to herself. _I'm gonna go insane. I've wanted this for so long… so why can't I just do it?_

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself as Jacob peppered soft kisses against her jaw, moving up to her cheeks. She had felt his erection earlier and didn't want to disappoint him, but her nervousness about the situation was getting the best of her.

_I know he can smell it, _she thought worriedly. As if on cue, he bit softly at her neck and then raised his head up. "It's okay, Ness," he said, his voice low and raspy.

"Hmm?" she moaned, arching her back against his. He could feel her hard peaks against his chest, and it continued to drive him wild.

"I know what you're worried about," he moaned as he kissed her again. "And it's fine."

"A-are you sure?"

Jacob pressed his nose against her cheek, chuckling nervously. "Yes, Ness-"

"But-" she questioned, pressing her hand against his shoulder. She showed him her embarrassment at the scent that lingered in the room, focusing on his reaction. Would he be disgusted?

"No, of course not," he snorted. "If I had…a smell, it would be ten times that. I want…I want you so bad."

"Really?"

"You know I do. It's…it's so nice, Ness. To know that…you want me. It's so s-sexy," he stumbled over his words as he kissed her, unsure of how she would react to knowing how her aroused scent affected him.

She pressed her palms against his cheeks, showing him more this time. A feeling of need and urgency flashed through him, making him stir. His manhood twitched against the couch cushions as his eyes closed, the familiar feeling sweeping through him.

His imprint was lusting after him, and her desire was left full of want.

"Can you really not tell me '_no_'?" she whispered through their kisses. He leaned his forehead against her cheek, his breathing slightly labored and raspy. Her strong arms grasped his hot body to hers; even in the tropical heat, his warmth made her insides twitch and feel…pleasant.

He exhaled, shaking his head 'no'- just admitting it out loud would make him crazy.

"I…I want you to make me…feel better," she whispered, her eyes staring up at the ceiling. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but the tension between her legs was starting to be too much for her to bear.

"You…you want me to fix it?" he asked, nipping at her neck. He didn't think he would ever be as turned on as he was now ever again. In his mind, such a thing wasn't even possible.

She nodded, biting her lip again as his large, hot hand brushed over her breast, the heat making her writhe beneath him. Renesmee panted, her head nodding again as he continued to brush his hand over her pointed peaks.

He kissed down her cheek, running his lips against her jaw line like she loved. Down his hot mouth trailed, all the way down the lines of her neck, her collar bone, her chest. He was worshipping her with his mouth.

"Mmmm…shit," she whispered, her eyes widening as the vulgarity slipped out. Her slip in words only further demonstrated her stumbling control, sending him wild. The fact that he could hear and smell the way he was affecting her body made him almost come undone.

"Please," she whimpered.

_Oh god…she whimpered. She fucking whimpered! _Jacob thought.

It was like the wolf was taking over. He moved his body up so that his stiff manhood was now pressed against her center, her flimsy sundress clinging to her thighs. He could feel the heat that was coming from her womanly center, and it was calling to him. Lifting himself up, he let himself rest against her. They both groaned and hissed slightly as they realized the only thing separating them now was her bathing suit and his shorts.

_Two layers of flimsy freaking fabric_, he thought wryly to himself as he thrust against her. Renesmee choked slightly, pleasantly surprised at the feeling of him brushing himself against her there. It felt…good.

"Jake…oh god, more," she growled, her hands clawing at his back. The pain of her fingers against his shoulder blades was surprising but not at all unpleasant as he leaned down. His mouth paused only slightly before encasing her pointed peak with his mouth. He sucked at her through the thin fabric of her swimsuit and dress. Even through two layers of cloth, his mouth on her sent pleasant shivers up and down her spine. She felt her stomach begin to tighten with each thrust of his hips against her own. The feeling of an impending explosion continued, but this time it was pleasant and welcomed. Her body could tell that release was coming soon, and she craved it.

"Oh…oh…" she panted as he switched sides and took her other pointed nipple in his mouth, sucking that side through the fabric. Her hand wove itself in his hair, holding him to her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Warmth began to flood her body as his hard member thrust against her repeatedly. Each time his movements made fireworks explode behind her closed eyelids.

"Mmm, don't stop," she pleaded, pulling on his hair as he continued to please her. Jacob chuckled against her breast; the vibrations of the laugh sending her even further into euphoria.

"Oh my…I'm…" she gasped, throwing her head back on the couch cushions. Jacob felt the room spin slightly as Renesmee unintentionally pressed her hand on his bare shoulder, sharing the picture of the fireworks she was imagining as she came.

_Fireworks…not bad_, he thought with a smug smile. His teeth grazed the area he had been suckling, biting down gently. She gasped again and writhed on the couch, still basking in the glow of her first non-solo orgasm.

Jacob pushed his body up, his still stiff manhood aching for attention; however, that didn't matter as much now. He just wanted to make sure his imprint was satisfied.

"That was…amazing," she breathed, lifting a hand to brush her unruly hair back from her flushed cheeks. Her eyes drooped closed as she breathed deeply, still trying to catch her breath from what had happened. The feeling of post-orgasmic bliss was too much to bear alone. She wanted more - much, much more.

"Jake," she panted as he sat up on his knees. She pushed herself up on her elbows, still slightly dizzy as she looked at him hovering above her. He looked so un-earthly sexy and wild right now that it was unbearable.

"Do you feel better?" he asked cockily, giving her his best smirk.

Renesmee laughed, returning his smirk. "I feel lots better…and now I want to return the favor," she practically purred, reaching down to stroke him through his swimming trunks.

Jacob sucked in a breath as her hot hand came in contact with his aching need - it felt amazing…too amazing. He would ravage her at this point; he was so insane with lust. He needed to be in complete control the first time. He needed to be perfect for her - contained, respectful. But there was no way he could be that for her tonight. The scent of her release still hung in the air, the cloying scent taunting him. It made him _wild_.

He stood from the couch, trying to collect himself. Renesmee's eyes lit up in the dark room as she misunderstood. He knew that she wanted it to happen tonight. But…he simply couldn't make love to her with his control balancing on a knifepoint. The risk was too great.

He scooped her up in his arms, and she squealed with delight. "Jake, I want to make you feel like I do right now," she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck. She feathered kisses on his neck and cheek, giggling slightly. Jacob thought his heart was going to break. He was going to disappoint her again.

He dropped her gently down on the white comforter in the blue bedroom, a soft sigh falling from her lips. With an aching heart and an even more painful case of blue balls, he watched as she peeled off her dress. Even in the dark, he could see her still aroused, pointed nipples through her bathing suit as she laid back on the bed. Renesmee had never looked more inviting. He could just imagine what she felt like underneath that scanty little suit - perfectly soft and skin just like silk…

_No,_ he growled to himself. Renesmee sat up, her eyes confused and pleading.

"Jake…Jake come here," she begged, holding out her hand to him.

The steel cables that attached them twisted painfully in his chest as he fought to control himself. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. It was denying his imprint when she needed him the most. He loved her but not enough to actually go through with this and risk losing all control.

Renesmee soon caught on.

He turned to leave, but her white hand shot out to grasp his wrist tightly.

"No…stay," she begged, her voice just above a whisper.

He wouldn't look at her. "No," he said, his own voice raspy with emotion. "Nessie…I can't. I just can't now. We need to wait until I'm…_damn it_," he growled, his face growing dark. Why did the monster-like side of him have to rear its ugly head now of all times?

Renesmee's heart sank as she watched him turn and leave the room; his footsteps practically silent. The cool breeze blowing through the window did nothing to pacify her as she listened to him walk down the hallway and back out the living room.

Her ears strained as she listened to him pace on the white carpet. _Back and forth, back and forth. _

_Is he debating whether or not to come back in here?_ She wondered.

She heard him grunt in defeat, and her heart sank even lower in her chest as she listened to the door that lead to the beach open and close. Her breath caught in her throat when suddenly, the sound of an entire set of clothing is being ripped to shreds as his body exploded and rang in the outside air. She sat up in bed, panting quickly as she listened to the sounds outside the window.

Then she saw it - Jacob in wolf form, taking off in the sand. His powerful hindquarters propelled him forward; the white powder flying up into the air behind him. She could see his outline against the sand on the beach outside her window for only a few seconds and then he was gone.

She laid back down, realizing that he was just as upset as she was. Was it supposed to be this hard? If they were soul mates, meant for each other, made for each other…was it always going to be this difficult for them to be together? Collin and Estrella made it look so easy, even when things had looked to be impossible. _What would they do now? _

Then, in the distance, she heard the most forlorn, bone-chilling wolf howl she had ever witnessed. Goosebumps rose up on her skin as she shivered in the soft sheets.

All hope seemed truly lost.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Big thanks to **mama23keiki** who came in to beta this one –** RainItShall** is not being replaced, but she was having some computer issues this week so mama23keiki stepped up and helped out – and she rocks! I love both of my betas, you girls are truly amazing to me. HUGS

In order to pacify some of you for no lemons yet, I gave you a longer chapter with a dash of citrus ; )

Although I will say that most of you are quite relieved that I didn't just stick these two on an island and have them hump like bunnies right away. You understand that that's not my version of Jake and Ness – they're hormonal and driven, but not completely crazy with lust at this point. Okay, maybe they are a bit, but….

Another Happy Belated Birthday to my dear friend **Efficient Vixen!** She is a wonderful Jake/Ness writer as well, so be sure to check out **'Toe-to-Toe'** and wish her a happy belated bday when you review ; )

**I'm updating my blog right after this with an Untouchable teaser, so be sure to check that out! I'm also adding in a teaser for Collin and Estrella's story (which I'm posting next weekend) 'Bottled Up Lightning'. So if you'd like to check that out, the link to my blog is on my profile page. That will be posted within the hour. **

I love to hear all your thoughts, so leave me some love and review, shall we? As this story draws to a close, I'm loving hearing from all the new reviewers. You guys rock! Love you all : )


	45. Wild

But you own the place where my thoughts go hiding

Right under your clothes, is where I'll find them

Underneath your clothes

There's an endless story

There's the man I chose, there's my territory

And all the things I deserve for being such a good girl

When the friends are gone and the party's over

We will still belong to each other

Underneath Your Clothes – Shakira

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

Renesmee had been worried that the humiliation of being turned away by Jacob would mar the rest of their vacation to the island. She couldn't have been more wrong – he completely avoided any talk of what had happened, further frustrating her. She wasn't sure if she should be insulted that he had brushed it off so easily or relieved that she wouldn't have to talk about it with him.

They had spent the afternoon diving in the coral reefs on the west side of the island, retrieving shells and broken bits of coral. The conversation has been light and playful, neither one of them bringing up the night before. Jacob had been planning their giant sized sand castle that they usually built on trips to the island since they had arrived. While he hauled buckets of sand to the spot, Renesmee usually took care of the details and decorations for the castle. Finally, their rumbling stomachs had brought them into the house.

"Damn, you go from hot to hotter in this place," Jacob muttered, flinging the sliding glass door open. Renesmee followed, shutting it behind her with a smirk.

"I could always hose you down, mutt," she teased, darting out of the way as he playfully swiped at her.

"Whatever, you're hot, too! I think I saw you break a sweat on that beach today," he said. Renesmee rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

"Jake, I told you. I don't sweat – I _glow."_

They both broke into a loud set of laughter as they walked into the house, Jacob suddenly stopping to strip off his sweaty shirt. She watched as the cotton dragged its way off of his skin, teasing her in the most unfair, tantalizing manner.

She immediately dropped her eyes, not wanting to make either of them uncomfortable by staring at his sweaty yet luscious looking skin. How anyone could look that good while sweating in the humid weather of Isle Esme was beyond her. She didn't normally sweat, but the extreme heat and humidity was starting to get to her. Renesmee actually _had _broken a sweat that day on the beach.

_It's not fair that I look like a drowned rat and he looks like a tan version of a Greek statue, _she thought smugly to herself as she pulled her tangled copper curls out of the messy ponytail. The tropical sun had only enhanced his already exotic coloring; he was now the most delectable shade of cocoa brown. She inhaled sharply as she caught of a view of him from the corner of her eye before promptly pivoting on her heel toward the kitchen.

"Why don't you…um...shower and I'll make some food?" she asked, shuffling into the large white kitchen. He ambled behind her obediently as she made her way around the counter, opening the refrigerator to glance inside.

"Sounds good," he mumbled, walking up behind her. She continued to stare at the contents as he squished himself between the door and the counter to stand right behind her, his arms finding their way around her waist. She could feel the defined lines of his ab muscles as he pressed himself against her back. Her heart immediately began to pound at his sudden close proximity; _did he know how crazy he was making her? _Swallowing, she tried to maintain her façade of calm.

"Stop, Jake, you're all sweaty," she hissed playfully, trying to push his hands away. He laughed and pressed himself up against her back harder, rubbing his entire torso and arms on her to cover her in his slick sweat. She squealed in a girly fashion and tried to wiggle away, the thin coating of sweat on their bodies helping her cause. Darting a few feet away, she laughed in triumph. He frowned as she began to ignore him once again and scour the kitchen cabinets.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked, her eyes scanning the contents. He sighed, sensing that their game was over, and walked over to look at the selection with her.

"I'll eat anything, especially if you make it," he said honestly, fiddling with the handle on the cabinet above her head.

She made a face at him, but it quickly turned into a smile as she realized that he was serious.

"You're being nice," she observed, ducking under his arm to open the refrigerator door again. He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Don't get used to it," he laughed, following her.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" she challenged, turning to look at him.

Jacob smiled, flashing his white teeth at her. "I'm just kidding….I...I'll always be nice to you, Nessie."

Her expression softened, and she turned all the way around to face him.

"It's kinda my job. It's an…imprint thing. I'll always be nice to you, it's part of the contract," he said.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Job?"

He jumped slightly, shaking his head. "No, no! _Privilege_. Yeah."

She pretended to frown at him again, but her face broke into a grin several seconds later. He gave her a mock-growl and hugged her from behind. Rubbing her hands over his forearms as they grasped her, she showed him a picture of an elaborate meal, already placed on the table for them to eat, tinged with a wistful hope that it would magically happen. He laughed at her pictures, resting his chin on her head. Her stomach rumbled, signaling that it was time to eat, and she turned back around in search of food.

Glancing over, she looked at the open refrigerator. She gazed at items in front of her, nothing really jumping out. Licking her lips, she frowned. Her throat was rather dry and parched feeling, and it was just starting to get to the point where it was becoming unpleasant.

"Ness, why didn't you tell me you were thirsty?" he asked, taking her hands that had just been resting on his forearms. She had just inadvertently shown him what she was thinking at that moment _again_.

She jerked her head up, completely forgetting that she had shown him what it was like to _really_ feel the thirst of a vampire. Her hand reached up, softly touching the skin on her neck as the burning sensation increased.

"We can't hunt here, Jake, it's okay…I'll just…try to eat plenty of human food."

He shook his head. "Nice try," he said. "I know that won't do it. I don't want you to suffer for the rest of the time we're here."

"Carlisle said that there wasn't any game here anymore to hunt, and we'd have to go to the mainland, which I don't feel like doing tonight," she said.

Jacob thought a moment, unsure of how to make his next offer. "You could…bite...me?" he said questioningly. She whipped her head around to look at him, shocked. Jacob always talked about her biting him when she was little, but he had laughed it off as silly behavior that she had only done as a little girl.

"No, it's okay, Jake…I don't want to hurt you," she said. "Besides...wouldn't that be weird?"

He snorted. "You're not going to hurt me. I've had much worse. You used to bite me all the time and I didn't care."

"But I was little."

"You still got a kick out of it."

"I wouldn't now. It's wrong to do Jacob. You're the alpha of your pack and you're supposed to keep the treaty," she argued. "My biting you isn't exactly keeping any promises."

"That is entirely different. Don't turn this around and make it about me and some stupid out-dated treaty. You're not venomous, you're not going to hurt me, and all of that is irrelevant. That all flew out the window the moment you were born, so don't even try to tell me that," He said, leaning against the counter. He still held her tightly against him.

"But it's wrong for me to bite you."

He looked down at her, frowning as he thought. Finally, he gave her a casual shrug. "No...Not if you needed it to feel better. I know you, you wouldn't need more than a few…sips? Drinks? How do you even measure that?" he asked with a chuckle.

She shook her head, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how nonchalant he was being about this. "No, Jake, I don't want to do that."

"Nessie, you showed me how thirsty you were- I don't care if it was an accident or not. That hurts your throat! I…I'll be more upset if you let yourself hurt like that. It hurts me when you hurt, Nessie," he begged. "Please?"

"You're begging me to bite you?" she laughed. "I won't even go into the ironies of that statement."

He shook his head, obviously uninterested in them. "Please? Nessie…when I said I'd do anything you needed me to, I meant that. I really did... Please just…just don't suffer like that."

"No, Jake, now knock it off," she said. "I'm not going to bite you. You can't make me."

He sighed in exasperation and wished that for just once she would have to do as he said, instead of vice versa. She continued to look for food, and he saw something that would do the trick. Grabbing a paring knife off the knife block, he quickly slid the blade over his wrist where he knew a prevalent artery lay and flinched a little as the crimson liquid began to ooze out.

Renesmee's head jerked up to look at him in amazement before her eyes fell on the blood slowly starting to seep out of his arm. Once the intoxicating scent of Jacob's blood hit her nose, the flames in her throat ignited. She could usually resist the minor scrapes, cuts, and nicks that graced humans, sometimes with no problem, as she was only a half vampire. However, she was not usually this thirsty, and it was never any blood as enticing to her as Jake's was.

A soft whimper escaped her lips before she could control it and she looked away, carefully averting her eyes. "Ness," he said softly, holding his arm out closer to her. She gave him a pleading look and shook her head.

"No, Jake, I don't want to do that to you," she whimpered again.

"It's going to close up in a second anyway, you might as well get a drag off it," he laughed, stepping even closer. She closed her eyes as the agony of thirst drenched her throat, and her resolve was clearly wavering.

"Here," he said again. She gave up. Slowly, she put her soft lips to his wrist and sucked ever so gently. He watched as her eyes closed briefly in relief, his own flood of relief and calm washing over him as her pain lessened. Even though he was having _his _blood consumed, he was sure that _he_ was the one who felt better than she did.

She drank for a few seconds, letting the cloying yet appealing flavor of his exotic blood coat her aching throat, and then pulled away, quickly wiping her mouth. He put his hand down, reaching over to run it under the faucet for a second as it finished closing. She stood in front of him awkwardly, not sure what to say.

"You feel better," he stated softly. She looked at him, leaning back on the counter, still unsure of what to converse about after what had just happened.

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it," he said. "Ness….I told you. When you hurt, I hurt. When you feel better…so do I."

She stared at him, unsure of what to say. Her heart swelled with love for her best friend, and she smiled.

"I do feel better, thank you," she admitted coyly, turning around. She now knew what she would make for dinner. "Okay…dinner time for you now."

"Okay!" he said excitedly, clapping his hands together loudly. She grinned, pushing him out of the kitchen.

"You go shower while I cook…I'm not domestic or anything, but we'll give this a shot," she said, firmly shoving him out of the kitchen. He laughed and stomped loudly down the hall to the blue bedroom where she was staying. Her vampire ears listened as she climbed into the large, tiled shower and began to rinse the day's sweat off his body. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms against the cool tile countertop, imagining what the water droplets she could clearly hear actually _looked_ like as they dripped down his body. _His tan, sinewy, muscled, luscious body…oh god. _

"Get it together," she hissed under her breath, removing her hands. She began to make their supper, but her stomach tightened in a pleasant and all too-familiar way as she listened to each droplet of water hit the tiled floor halfway across the house. When his shower was over, she proudly presented him with their meal of tomato soup and slightly burned grilled cheese sandwiches.

"I used mozzarella _and _cheddar cheese, just how you like," she added as his gaze rested on the small stack of gooey sandwiches on the counter in front of him. He plopped down with an appreciative grunt, flashing her a grin. His blue Nike shorts hung off his hips in the sexiest way, and his black wife beater clung to his chest for dear life. Droplets of water still hung off his hair, which were now down past his shoulders once again.

"You gonna eat?" he asked, snapping her out of her daydream. She nodded, sitting down right beside him as he began to dig in. He paused when she sat, patting her thigh lightly.

"This is good, Ness," he said simply, clanking his spoon on the bowl as he scooped up a mouthful of soup.

"Thanks, Jake. I tried," she added with a shrug.

"You made it, so it's great," he said. "Besides…" he said, letting some tomato soup drip off his spoon and back into the bowl, "It's gotta be good when it looks like this," he joked. She knew he was referring to the red tomato soup, and she rolled her eyes at him.

She finished before he did; he ate at least four more of the burnt sandwiches without so much as a grimace. Her heart warmed at the thought of what he had done for her earlier.

_He really must like me if he's a werewolf who hunts vampires…and yet he slit his own wrist so that I could drink his blood. Oh Jake…_

Her eyes flicked up to glance at the clock on the wall, and she wondered what was going to happen – would he sleep on the couch again tonight? Her stomach tied in nervous knots as she contemplated what would happen when it was time for bed. In a way, this whole 'imprint' thing was rather confusing. If they were going to be together forever, what was stopping them from doing anything they wanted right now? They already knew they probably wouldn't break up or anything, so didn't that technically take a lot of the pressure away? She certainly didn't think so.

"Ooooh…" he gasped, sitting back in his chair as he rubbed his stomach. She grinned at him, pleased that he had liked her meal.

"Glad you liked it."

He nodded, picking up her plate to put it in the sink with his. She yawned, although she tried to hide it from him.

"I'm tired, too," he said. "You wanna watch a movie?"

She nodded, shuffling over to the couches that lined the living room. Flopping down on the large, white couches, she sighed and tossed him the remote. "You pick."

To her surprise, he flipped off the lights before grasping the remote to pick a movie out for them. He settled down on the coach beside her, laying on his stomach. He rested his head in her lap gently, his breath tickling her thigh as he breathed contentedly while he flipped through the channels. He ultimately settled on what she would label a 'boy' movie – something loud, with lots of car chases and guns. She watched with him for a little while, her ringers absently winding in his black, silky hair.

She began to weave the long pieces together into a few shiny braids, running her fingers along the soft strands. His hair was the shiniest, softest hair she had ever felt, both when he was a wolf and a human.

"No braids," he grumbled, playfully swatting at her hands. She laughed and gave a piece a tug, warning him to stop.

"I'll braid if I want to braid. You're making me watch a boy movie," she argued back with a laugh. He sighed in relent and continued to watch his movie. She left the braids in and rested her head against the back of the sofa eventually, watching out the large windows beside them as the waves rolled in and out on the beach outside. Between the sound of the water on the sand and the movie in the background, she soon found herself drifting off to sleep.

She didn't dream as she dozed there on the couch, Jacob's head in her lap, and for that she was glad – there was enough to worry about without the thought of Jacob seeing her embarrassing smutty dreams about him.

Several hours later, she felt herself being lifted up off the couch, only to be set back down and have her head rest on something warm and familiar. Opening her eyes, she smiled up from her place on Jacob's lap.

"You moved me," she stated.

"I was making you hot with my head in your lap," he said with a shrug, not moving his eyes from the screen. She laughed to herself, covering her eyes sleepily. "How long was I asleep?"

"'Bout an hour. You're tired, you should get some sleep. I wanna do something fun tomorrow," he said, staring at the movie. Rolling her eyes, she felt sleep threatening to take her again as she laid on his lap, her eyelids starting to droop again. She was so tired that she didn't even realize she had started to dream….

The pictures in her mind were fuzzy and choppy, but she got the idea.

_She grasped his hand tightly as they frolicked down the white, powdery stretch of sand, the surf kicking up at their feet. Jacob laughed and reached down to splash her with water….._

_When they finally had enough running, he stopped her, grasping her waist tightly….. _

_She jumped up, Jacob catching her to hold her against him. She wrapped her legs around his muscled torso, both her palms on his cheeks, showing him her need….._

_He gasped into her mouth as she clung to him desperately, seeking the release that her body finally needed so much. She showed him with her gift how badly her body ached for him to help her feel the calmness in her that only he could bring her. She tightened her legs around him again as they kissed deeply, the only sound around them the crashing of the waves on the beach below them. She moaned and grinded herself against his stomach, his hands cupping her backside. _

_She showed him the almost painful feeling of her frustration….she needed him so badly…_

And then she woke up. She frowned for a moment, burrowing her face into the side of Jake's leg as she tried to go back to sleep. Her stomach tightened in that familiar way and she moved her legs together a few times to relieve herself slightly. The TV was still blaring with the gun movie behind her, and she wanted to go back to sleep. She yawned, lifting her hand off of Jake's arm to stretch it out from its cramped position…

_Wait…was my hand on his arm while I was having that smutty little dream?_

Wincing, she opened one eye and looked up at Jacob in the dark room. He was sitting, rigid and frozen above her, nostrils flared and a look of complete panic on his face. His eyes were open wide, and he was staring straight at the screen.

_Crap. He definitely saw. Oh. My. God._

Her cheeks flamed with a humiliated blush, and she froze, unsure what to do. She had never been so humiliated in her entire life! She had just shown poor Jacob her terribly risqué and tawdry dream about him.

_What do I do? Oh my god, this is awful. Shit Shit shit…_

She sat up quickly, her cheeks still flushed. Jacob still sat there, frozen, and she could practically _feel _embarrassment radiating off of the two of them.

"I'm gonna…get to bed…" she mumbled, jumping up quickly. She used her vampire speed to dart out of the TV room and down the hall to the blue bedroom that she was currently using. She could hear Jake shift uncomfortably on the couch, and she cringed again at her stupid talent. _I hate this sometimes,_ she grumbled, looking down at her palms.

Once inside the bedroom, she contemplated closing the door, but thought better of it. It was hot enough in the large house without closing everything off, and she wanted some airflow to reach her. She decided that a cool shower would be best to help her relax.

She stripped down and opened the glass door to start the water, only to be bombarded by Jacob's musky, alluring scent from his shower in there a few hours before. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the water and stepped in, trying to make the jets wash away her embarrassment.

She wanted to die of humiliation, but she also felt like a huge coward. It felt like she was doing something wrong to allow herself to be so embarrassed in front of Jake, but she couldn't help it. This 'imprint' thing was hard enough to figure out, much less get used to.

_Is it wrong to feel so embarrassed about this? If I'm his imprint, isn't it okay to want him to…do those things to me? I don't know how to go about this at all…are we even supposed to? He said that he would be whatever I needed him to be, but how can I believe that? Jake isn't exactly like a brother to me anymore, so obviously we're supposed to be more than that…_

Her thoughts were jumbled and practically incoherent as she attempted to sort through them, the cool streams of water hitting her. But once all the sweat and grime from the day was gone, she found the cool water to be un-soothing and far, far too cold for her taste.

She wanted the _heat._

Reaching down, she turned the faucet to 'hot' and sighed audibly as the water began to steam in the glass shower. It ran down her body, calming and helping to pacify her frazzled nerves and sexually frustrated body. She touched the tiles of the wall with her sensitive fingertips, tracing the bumps and ridges of the hard surface. Closing her eyes, she imagined that it was Jake's abs that she was running her fingers across. His scent from his shower in there earlier swirled around her, mixing with her own in a simply intoxicating aroma of musky and sweet.

Her mind traveled back to the feeling of his intoxicating blood on her tongue, but this time it wasn't her throat that felt the effects of it. Her stomach tightened as she remembered the intrigued look on his face as she drank from his wrist. It was almost…erotic for her. In fact, it was downright sexy. His soothing blood had quenched her burning thirst, yet it has also made another need of hers blatantly apparent. His obvious desire to please her and fulfill her every need made a deep longing start to rise up in her core. She griped the tiles on the wall as the hot water hit her hard body, wishing that it was a different kind of heat pacifying her. Raising her hand, she pictured his chiseled chest, slick with a thin layer of sweat and ocean spray.

Her eyes opened as she licked her lips in anticipation. _Anticipation of what?_

_I'm going crazy. I'm feeling up a shower wall imagining that it's Jake. I've officially lost my mind. _

She quickly shut off the water, worried that Jake would come looking for her if she didn't get out soon. _Leave it to me to drown in the shower._

She wrung out her hair and toweled off, suddenly wanting to be as far away from that shower as possible.

Back in the TV room, Jake still sat, frozen as a statue as he listened to Renesmee in the shower. His delicate ears pricked up when he heard the water pressure increase, and he tried to focus on the movie he hadn't really been watching.

He lowered the volume to listen to her; she was standing in the shower, rinsing off. _Nothing unusual, Jake. No need to be a pervert. _

He felt himself begin to harden and he shifted uncomfortably, painfully aware that his thin basketball shorts would embarrass him if she was to walk out there at that moment.

His mind disobeyed him, however, and he thought back to that dream she had had while dozing on his lap. He didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep until her hand grasped his forearm as she had cuddled into his leg, trying to get comfortable. He had been watching the movie innocently enough when the pictures started. He normally loved to watch his imprint dream; most of the time, her dreams had been about him and their playtime together. However, that seems to have changed. A lot.

He swallowed loudly, shifting on the couch again as his body continued to disobey his mind.

_Calm down, Jake…Keep it together. Keep it together…_

Being here, with her, alone… it was strange. Even he couldn't deny that. Normally he was used to crazy Aunt Rosalie or crabby daddy vamp Edward hanging around, but not now. He couldn't stop himself from looking over his shoulder and smelling their air to make sure that they were in fact, alone.

He was sure that no other wolf had been tortured this much by his imprint. Well, that wasn't fair for him to think; she didn't _know _she was torturing him.

He sighed and flipped the TV off; it was no use, he wasn't watching it anyhow. He heard the shower turn off, and Renesmee begin to wring out her hair and towel her pale body down with one of the fluffy towels in the bathroom. His mind tried to show him things that he was sure he didn't _need _ to see at that moment, but he let himself momentarily.

Her dream had been exquisite. Plain and simple.

He of course had no idea that she was as apparently sexually frustrated as he was, which only made matters worse. He shuddered slightly as he realized that even after satisfying her slightly the night before she was still so wound up. Of course a little dry humping on the couch wasn't going to satisfy either one of them. It was a small dose of relief to know that he wasn't the only crazy one here, but it still didn't help any because he couldn't actually _act_ on the desire to help her with her needs as much as he wanted to.

The fear of losing control over himself still loomed in the back of his mind.

He stretched out on the couch, his ears still attentively listening to Renesmee down the hall in her bedroom. There were several other bedrooms he could have inhabited in the house, but he felt best on the couch. It was like the couch was his reminder: _you are to sleep away from her and stay here so that you can behave yourself._

He fought with his sex-craving Alpha side and his human- sensible side tooth and nail every single second he had been on that island.

That side of him said: _you are her protector and her guardian when she is away from her parents. To take advantage of that role is selfish, wrong, and immature. You are to be exactly what she needs every second of the day, and to put her needs above your own. Behave yourself and act like a leader._ He still needed to consider her feelings and the idea that she might not be as ready for the next step in their relationship as her hormones would like to make her believe.

His heart twisted at that idea. He frowned as his mind contemplated that idea, and he temporarily allowed himself to get his hopes up for a few seconds as he considered her dream. It was obvious from the way she had entangled and moved herself around his body in her dream that she didn't think of him as brother or a friend. No, certainly that was not the idea he had gotten from what he had seen.

He relaxed a little when he heard her climb into the bed, pulling the covers back, silently thanking God for the fact that he had supersensitive ears. Listening to his imprint relax and softly sigh as she settled into the large bed calmed his frazzled nerves. Lying back on the couch, he settled into the soft cushions to try to rest.

He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard it. She awoke with another start, and he lifted his head up from its position in his arms where he laid on the couch. He listened; down the hall, Renesmee shifted uncomfortably in her bed, and he could hear her breathing increase.

_Why is she awake again? Did she have a nightmare? _

His mind raced as he thought about all the awful things she could be dreaming about; he didn't want her to think about awful things anymore.

Then he heard a soft whimper.

_Is she scared?_

His heartbeat sped up as he sat up on the couch, listening some more. She whimpered once again, and he flew to his feet, silently rushing down the hallway to the bedroom. The door was open, so he took that as an invitation to barge in. She was still asleep, but it was unmistakable what was happening.

As soon as he was in the room, he was bombarded with the smell of Renesmee. Only, it was more concentrated and thick in the room where he now stood, panicked in the doorway.

_Oh my god…I know that smell…Oh god…._

She lay in bed, the covers tossed back to the bottom, clad in only a pair of light, coral panties and a sheer tank top that matched. It was unlike anything he had ever seen Renesmee wear.

The material clung to her hot body as she laid there, the lacy shirt bunched up almost around her ribs. Her smooth stomach glowed in the moonlight that shone through the room's skylight, and it glowed with another thin covering of her silky sweat. Her small hand was on her stomach, clearly on a path of release as she inched it downward.

He nearly came undone when she bit her lip and moved her hand to the rim of the thin underwear, another small sigh escaping her.

_For the love of god, is she…she's having a dream…and by the look of it, a very erotic dream. Another one? I'm going to lose my freaking mind._

This was wrong. He was intruding on something very private and every bone in his body fought to decide what to do. He wanted to stay and watch her, as perverse as that sounded, even to him. However, he knew she would be mortified if he caught her doing something like this. And then she said his name.

"Jake…"

His nostrils flared as he panicked for a moment, sure that he had been caught. Raising his eyes, he was relieved to see that she was still fast asleep, only now she was moving her hand along the rim of the alluring underwear and _saying his name._

She writhed on the bed for a moment, and he gripped the door handle to keep control of himself. This was almost more than he could handle. She bit her lip again and her body suddenly stilled, her hand falling slack. He heard her sigh heavily and stop her movement, and he froze again.

Her eyes opened, and she sighed again in obvious disappointment. Renesmee's nostrils moved, and her head whipped to the side to see Jake, standing in the doorway. His heart nearly stopped as she sat up, hastily re-arranging the lacy tank top around her middle. She yanked up the thin white sheet to cover herself as her eyes widened.

"Jake!" she gasped, clutching the material.

"I…I heard you having a nightmare, so I came to see if you were okay!" he stuttered quickly, backing out of the door. "You're fine, I'm going back to sleep," he pretended to mumble, hoping she fell for it.

_No, I wasn't standing in your doorway watching you touch yourself and have a sexy dream…no…_

He laid back down on the white couch, fuming in the darkness. Her cloying aroma of arousal still felt like it was drenching his skin, and every cell in his body was arguing with the fact that she was in the bedroom and he was out there. He fought tooth and nail with himself again as he lay there, unable to move for fear he would race to the room and…_and what?_

He sighed, grabbing his shaggy hair in his fists and growling softly to himself as he tried to keep still. Every instinct in his body was telling him to go into the bedroom and obey the obvious physical needs of his imprint. His stomach ached and his head throbbed as he fought to stay on the couch and not go into the bedroom where his imprint obviously needed him. The confusion she was feeling was roaring through his veins as he felt the pull towards her.

He was losing his mind.

Down the hall, Renesmee wasn't feeling much better as she lay in bed. Her heart was pounding after what had just happened; _Jacob had seen her. _ There was no way to logically deny it. She had been dreaming about him, her stomach all tight and tingly, her legs twisted in the sheets...it had to have been quite obvious what was going on. She fisted the sheets and tried to reason with herself as she laid there.

She _wanted_ him. Badly. There was no moving away from that now. Her mind raced as she thought about their situation.

_Potential soul mates. Definite best friends. Together. On a remote island. In the heat…alone…_

Her thoughts quickly began to overwhelm her as she laid there in the large bed. Her fingers touched the soft sheets next to her, longing for him to be beside her, touching her, caressing her skin, kissing her…

Squeezing her eyes shut, she fidgeted a little more before sighing loudly again. It was no use to try and deny herself. It was going to happen; she knew this. She and Jake were going to be around each other forever, so they might as well get used to it, right?

Her body ached to feel the release that she could somehow sense he could help her achieve. Cursing her naïve nature and innocent upbringing, she couldn't help but long for Alice to be there. Sure, she loved Bella, but it was awkward enough to ask your mother about sex – it was ten times more awkward when she looked like she was the same age.

She tried to calm herself down. She and Jake were soul mates – she knew he wouldn't lie to her. Honestly, she wasn't sure if he even could technically lie to her. No, she definitely trusted the fact that she was meant to be with him. Sighing, her fingers gripped the empty sheets as she listened to Jacob's soft snoring all the way down the hall in the living room.

_I don't want him down the hall, sleeping on the couch, alone…I want him here…with me. I need Jacob. _

She had made up her mind. Tomorrow would be different.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Very little teasing left. I won't give anything away, but I don't plan to disappoint ; )

What do you think they're going to do? **Check out the blog (link is on my profile)** for a rather long teaser for the next chapter. I'm also putting together a post for next week's chapter that is complete with pics I've hunted down of what I think Isle Esme looks like.


	46. Diving in

We belong together  
Like the open seas and shores  
Wedded by the planet force  
We've both been spoken for

What good is a life, with no one to share  
The light of the moon, the honor of a swear

All this indecision  
All this independent strength  
Still, we've got our hearts on save

_We Belong Together – Gavin DeGraw_

Thousands of miles away in Forks, Alice laughed.

Edward and Bella looked up from their reading, both surprised at her sudden outburst in the otherwise perfectly still and quiet house. Everyone else was out for a hunt; Alice had stayed home to work on her computer and Edward and Bella were relaxing at the main house for a change that night. Alice had been in the middle of typing an email to her foreign clothing designers when the vision came to her.

Since it was Renesmee and Jacob, she had only caught a flash of it; she was trying to be respectful and not watch her niece during her private vacation with her mate, but it was hard to not watch her after nearly eight years of watching her like a hawk. She had managed to catch a glimpse of them on Isle Esme, and it had definitely been one of the more entertaining glimpses she had caught lately.

"Something entertaining?" Edward asked, scanning her thoughts. Alice bit her lip as she tried to block him through her giggles. She shook her head innocently, putting on her best poker face to fool her brother.

"No, not at all."

"Are Renesmee and Jacob all right?" Bella asked her, looking up from her magazine.

Alice smirked to herself and nodded. "They're fine, I think," she replied casually.

Images of what was going to take place in a few hours on Isle Esme threatened to creep to the front of her mind, but Alice pushed them back. She was determined to give her niece some privacy.

"No, nothing's wrong," she repeated, turning back to her computer.

"Alright," Edward replied slowly. He turned his attention back to his reading, but looked back up at his sister after a few moments.

"But…Alice, why are you singing '99 bottles of beer on the wall' in your head?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob awoke the next morning to the wonderful sound of the waves crashing on the beach outside and bacon frying in the kitchen. His nose made him sit up and stretch, eagerly standing to find the source of the lovely, breakfast-y smell.

"Oh, shit," he mumbled, sitting back down on the couch quickly. He pulled a blanket from the back of the couch over his lap to cover up his morning erection that was causing his thin basketball shorts to tent up.

"Jake?" he heard Renesmee call from the kitchen. He panicked for a second.

"Uh...uh…hold on!" he called. "I'll be up in a minute!"

_Okay, shit…um…um…vampires…leeches…Victoria…the newborn who almost ripped me in two…umm…Rosalie!_

He looked down at his dick and grinned. _That_ always helped him calm down. He desperately needed to take care of himself with a cold shower, but he had simply been too distracted to worry about his own sexual needs for a while. Images of the fireworks an orgasmic Renesmee had shown him flashed through his mind. With a satisfied smirk, he stood and stretched again, working out all the kinks and cracks in his spine from sleeping on the couch. He looked wistfully at the hallway where he knew her bedroom was, silently wishing he could at least sleep in there.

_Maybe I could just curl up on the foot of the bed like a real dog? _ He snorted to himself and tried to straighten out his shaggy black hair before ambling into the kitchen. Renesmee stood in front of the burner on the stove, watching over some slightly burnt bacon.

Jacob grinned at her and she smiled back nervously. _Okay, well she obviously hasn't forgotten about last night…_ he thought. Tension clung to them as they exchanged slightly anxious glances. He followed the magnetic pull towards her,

"You cooking?" he asked, ruffling her hair a little as he walked by. She nodded, frowning down at the skillet in front of her.

"Trying to. It's hard to cook when the only people around you that cook don't actually eat the food," she muttered, flipping the nearly blackened bacon over. Jacob snorted and began to make them some coffee.

The silence between them in the large white kitchen was noticeable, but harmonious. He watched the coffee brew and she stood in front of the frying pan, frowning.

"Mmm, I love that smell. Even my family agrees that coffee smells good," she said, looking at the coffee pot. He laughed, bringing out two coffee cups.

"I know something else that smells good," he offered. She looked at him sideways, obviously still nervous. His heart melted a little for his imprint. He leaned across the distance between them, placing a slightly wet kiss on her temple. She giggled, wiping the traces of his saliva off of her skin with a grunt.

"You wanna do something fun today?" he asked softly, sensing her discomfort. He couldn't blame her; he was embarrassed too, but he was determined for this not to ruin their entire trip here. He wanted to set the mood for the rest of their stay on Isle Esme, and nervous was not the one he was going for.

She looked up, her large brown eyes wide. "Yeah, I would," she said.

An awkward silence settled between them, and he knew that they were both painfully aware of what had happened in her bedroom the night before. A year ago, he would have teased her relentlessly about something like this, but now he wanted to do the exact opposite.

_My imprint needs...help…with something and I feel like I'm fighting every instinct in my body by denying her that. I just want her to feel better…not to mention the fact that once she's satisfied I will be, too. I hate feeling like this; it must be ten times worse for her after what I saw last night…._

"Yeah, I have a plan for something fun to do today, so we'll go after we eat," he said.

She nodded, tucking a long, stray curl behind her ear.

She picked the bacon out of the skillet and he pulled out a carton of eggs from the fridge, setting them on the counter beside her.

"Is this what you call a hint?" she asked, waving the spatula at him. He grinned and popped a burnt piece of bacon in his mouth, chewing happily as she grimaced at him.

"Isn't that gross tasting?" she asked.

"No," he said sheepishly. "I'm a Black, and we don't waste food." What he didn't want to tell her was that anything she cooked would probably taste good to him. As long as _she_ had made it.

She laughed her tinkling laugh and he smiled as he chewed.

"Ew, chew with your mouth shut, pup," she teased. Biting her lip, she remembered her vow from last night. She was going to try really _flirting _with him today.

How would he react? He had always seemed like he didn't mind her pathetic attempts at flirting before, but now it was different. Now it was allowed, expected even.

Renesmee watched as Jacob ate, her own stomach feeling far too queasy to even contemplate enjoying food at the moment. She was content to sit on the kitchen stool where she could plot and plan the rest of their day together. She was done playing the role of the naïve best friend. Today, she decided, she would be the 'sexy vixen' that had apparently replaced her once upon a time in Jacob's mind. He had said that himself – so why didn't he act like it?

Today would be different. She had already made up her mind the night before, and then sat up for at least three hours pondering what she could do to make Jacob see her in the way she wanted him to see her. Glancing down, she realized that her worn t-shirt that belonged to Bella and sloppy looking yoga pants from the Gap paired with her messy hair in a bun wasn't exactly screaming 'vixen'.

Once they were finished with breakfast, she stood and collected his plate, tossing it into the kitchen sink to deal with later. She had other things to worry about today besides dishes.

Turning around, Renesmee grasped the kitchen counter behind her and watched him down the rest of his juice.

"So what are we doing today?" she asked.

"Something fun…you'll like it."

"That doesn't tell me what it is, Jacob."

"Too bad," he grinned, sauntering over to place his cup on the edge of the sink. She scowled up at him friskily, narrowing her chocolate colored eyes.

"Glaring at me won't help you plead your case. Just go get ready. We'll be swimming."

"Where?"

"Does it matter? Bathing suit…go," he urged, grasping her shoulders. He gently pushed her down the hall towards her bedroom, and she stifled a growl.

She shuffled her way down the carpeted hallway, fuming slightly at his refusal to tell her where they were going. It was very….frustrating. She needed to plan her so called 'attack' on him but it was difficult not knowing exactly what they were going to do.

_No matter, _she decided._ I'm going to look sexy no matter what I do today. He'll want me so bad by the end of the day he won't be able to stand it! _

She was more ready than ever to take the next step in their relationship, and was tired of the merciless flirting and games.

_I wish Alice was here,_ she thought to herself woefully, glancing around the bedroom. If Alice was there, she would know what to wear, how to wear it, and how to get her way. Alice always got her way.

Walking over to her suitcase, she dug through it to try to inspire herself. What would Alice have her wear? For once, she longed for her normally slightly pushy and boisterous aunt to pop out of the closet and help her transform from 'Nessie the best friend' to 'Renesmee the womanly vixen'. With a sigh, she began to dig through the suitcase.

Several garments were discarded, tossed onto the soft pale carpet at her feet. When she finally hit the bottom of the suitcase, her fingers closed on the perfect suit; it was a strapless two piece, perfect for seducing a werewolf in her opinion. The top was a white bandeau gathered in the center with a turquoise colored heart, paired with bottoms that matched in the same color turquoise. As she pulled it on, she had to admit that the white and turquoise matched her creamy skin and coppery hair rather well.

"Today, Ness," Jacob sang from the kitchen, where she could hear him drumming his fingers impatiently on the counter.

"Hold your horses, the island isn't going anywhere," she growled back. She heard his answering chuckle as she dashed into the bathroom.

Grabbing her rarely used makeup case, she dabbed on some fruity lip gloss that shimmered against her already pink lips, and then added some mascara to enhance her brown eyes. Tousling her hair, she did her best to make it look naturally sexy and not like she had tried.

_I feel stupid,_ she thought to herself as she glanced at her reflection in the large mirror. Tucking her hair behind one ear, she pulled on a plain black sundress and trudged from the room.

Jacob looked up when she walked into the room, avoiding his gaze.

"Let's go," she said, her voice tinged with impatience. She felt silly for trying to look a certain way in front of Jacob, and only hoped that he would be his normal obtuse self.

"Are you…are you wearing make up?" he asked suddenly, following her out the doors to the beach.

She immediately felt her cheeks grow hot. He had noticed. Today of all days!

"Maybe," she huffed, stomping slightly through the powdery sand. He walked a few steps behind her, confused with her speed.

"Oh," he said matter-of-factly. He paused for a moment, confused. "Don't you want to know where we're going?"

She stopped, bits of white sand flying up as she skidded to a halt. Turning, she avoided his eyes, her features still flushed with embarrassment.

"Where?"

"To the lagoon. The waterfall actually," he said.

"For what?"

"Cliff diving," he answered, walking forward with a knowing grin.

Renesmee beamed, suddenly ecstatic. "We are?" she asked, clapping her hands together. He grinned widely, and she couldn't contain her excitement any longer. She loved cliff diving, even though her parents hadn't let her do it on Isle Esme before. Of course, they didn't know she had done it several times at home in La Push. Jacob and her parents had never let her jump from the top, but she had jumped from several of the smaller rocks before.

She let a happy peal of laughter escape as she grew more and more nervous and excited for their day. Jumping up onto his back, she wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed.

"Thank you, Jacob!" she squealed, hugging him. He grasped her legs around his torso and chuckled.

"I would have done this sooner if I realized you would be so happy about it," he admitted, looking over his shoulder.

She grinned. "You really mean it? You'll let me jump?"

He nodded. "I'm gonna go with you, but yeah," he admitted.

Renesmee felt her skin sizzle with satisfaction as she clung to Jacob's back while he jaunted through the forest. The cliffs on Isle Esme were about fifty feet higher than the ones back in La Push – she had never been allowed to jump from one before. She had spent years watching her family members leap from the tall heights, always wishing that she could, too.

"This will be your first time too, won't it?"

He chuckled, gripping her legs around his stomach with his large, warm hands. "Somewhat."

"What's that mean?" she huffed, pressing her cheek to the back of his neck. She felt him shudder slightly, and she picked her head back up as he began to carry her up the trail towards the lagoon.

"I used to go for runs at night when you were asleep and…I might have jumped a few times."

She snorted indignantly. "You did? Without me?"

He laughed, the merry sound echoing off the tall trees and large canopy of greenery. "I did, but you were a kid! You were sleeping."

"I'm not a kid _now_."

He was silent for a moment as he began to climb steadily upwards. "I know," was all he said in response.

They climbed for another twenty minutes through the dense jungle, Jacob carefully weaving in and out of the green trees as they walked. He finally put her down once they were at the top of the cliffs overlooking the blue-green lagoon below. It was a beautiful spot, secluded and private. The cliff hung out over the lagoon, a large waterfall pouring into the deep waters below. The mist from the falling water rose into the air, immediately coating both of them with the fresh, dewy water.

He set her down at the top, and he immediately peeled off his shirt. It was nearly soaked with sweat and mist from the falls already, and he looked quite eager to get it off.

_My turn now,_ she thought to herself, her thoughts taking on a braver, bolder tone_. I want this,_ she chanted in her mind as she reached for the hem of her sundress.

Pulling it over her head slowly, she let the garment fall to the ground as gracefully as she could. With her other hand, she shook out her coppery curls, twisting them into a manageable mane that hung down one side of her body. Glancing down, Renesmee gently pulled her revealing bathing suit into place a little better, readjusting the elastic around her body. Wetting her lips, she could still taste the berry flavored lip gloss that coated them. She smiled to herself.

Looking up, her heart began to flutter even fast as she realized Jacob was standing fifteen feet from her, staring with his mouth open. His body was facing the cliff and the drop below, yet his head was tilted to the side, looking back over his shoulder at her. And the look on his face was positively priceless.

Renesmee bit back her nervousness for what felt like the millionth time that day and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

_Make him want you,_ her mind reminded her.

"See something you like, pup?" she teased, practically prancing past him on her way to the edge of the cliff. The mist from the waterfall rose up and hit her face, and she breathed in the fresh scent of the water as it invaded her senses.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jacob's jaw tense as he bit down on his bottom lip.

Glancing over the edge, she felt her vision swirl a little as she gauged the drop down to the water. Sucking in a breath, she felt her stomach tense a bit at the idea of falling that far.

"Would you catch me if I fell?" She teased, quoting one of her favorite movies _Pretty Woman. _She dangled her foot over the edge, listening as he his heart rate sped up

Suddenly, there was a warm presence behind her, and Jacob's hands were on her shoulders, grasping her from behind. His warm breath tickled her ear as he breathed sending pleasant tremors of desire down her spine.

_He's playing with me,_ a voice in her head said_. Tease him back…._

Renesmee wasn't sure where this wanton, womanly voice in her head had come from; perhaps it was her newly found female intuition that was coming forward. Either way, she wasn't about to ignore it.

"Scared?" he asked. His voice was rough and gravelly, and it made her thoughts take a rather risqué turn. However, if he was going to make this a game, then a game it would be. She snorted defiantly, shaking her head as his masculine, fresh scent threatened to cloud her thoughts. Looking down again, she focused on the deep blue color of the lagoon so far below, beckoning her.

"Nope."

She walked away from the edge slightly, shaking his hands off her. He bit his lip and watched her walk away, her toes digging into the moss that lined the rocks at the top of the cliff.

"I'm not afraid," she insisted, then looked over her shoulder at him. "Are you?"

Jacob snorted, clapping his hands together cockily. "Afraid? Me? Not a chance. We don't have to do this you know, if you've changed your mind."

"Does it _look_ like I've changed my mind?" she asked saucily, batting her eyelashes once at him. She watched his Adam's apple bob slightly as he swallowed, watching as she stuck her hand on her hip. Her chest jutted out slightly as she stood, giving him her best sensual gaze.

Jacob seemed to clear his mind as his eyes refocused quickly. "Okay, then. Let's do it. The first one is the best because your adrenaline is racing," he said.

She nodded, walking back over to stand beside him. They both peered over the edge, looking over the side. Her stomach twisted nervously, and she bit her lip. Jacob's warm hand gently enclosed hers, and she looked up at him with a smile.

"Together on three. Ready? One, two…three!"

They jumped at the same instant, and before she knew it they were sailing downwards. His hand gripped hers protectively the whole way down, and she felt like she was flying. They both shrieked with glee as they hurtled towards the water, gasping when their bodies hit the icy fresh water of the lagoon.

Time slowed as they plunged into the deep water. Jacob did not let go once.

Both of their bodies stilled for a second when they were submerged, and she felt his warm arms encase her body protectively in the chilly depths. He pushed off of a rock, sending them both floating quickly up to the surface.

"Ah!" she laughed as they re-emerged, bouncing up and down in the water. Both of them sputtered for a moment until they realized that they had survived the jump in one piece. She didn't miss the way his arms tightened around her middle, drawing her closer as they floated in the water.

"That so cool," he laughed, lifting one hand off her waist to brush his shaggy hair out of his face. She grasped his shoulders as the floated in the cold water, immediately missing the contact of his skin on hers. His hand returned to her side, warming her as they bobbed up and down, the mists from the waterfall raining down on them. The roar of the waterfall itself was nearly deafening to their sensitive ears, yet neither of them seemed to notice. His eyes went unfocused for a moment, and she caught him staring down at her lips.

"Jake?" she finally said, her voice wavering a little. His eyes flashed upwards to meet hers, and he seemed to jerk himself back into the present.

"Yeah?"

"Let's swim to the side," she said softly, her eyes carefully scanning his face.

"Yeah," he said quietly, nodding. His hands released her, and she instantly felt cold for the first time since entering the water.

They swam to the side of the lagoon, Renesmee swimming ahead of him to the rocky sides of the water. Once they were out, she adjusted her swimsuit around herself again, making sure it was in place. Jacob hoisted himself out of the water after her, shaking his hair and making water droplets fling everywhere.

She laughed, holding up her hands to shield herself, which only made him shake harder.

"Go shake yourself down over there," she teased, waggling her eyebrows at him. She spun on her heel, carefully maneuvering her way along the slick rocks as if she was walking on flat ground.

"Go to the cave," he called over the roaring sound of the waterfall. She nodded, hiking along the ridge of rocks that led to a little alcove behind the waterfall. It was a low-ceilinged little indentation in the rocks, carved out by the water. It went back about ten feet and had a shallow tide pool and flat rocks to sit on.

She looked around, taking in the appearance of the caves. They had been there only a few short years ago, but it still felt like eons since she had been there last.

Jacob's voice startled her. "You know, we used to have tea parties back here," he said, a smile dancing on his lips. She turned around, smiling wryly at him.

"Sorry," she offered.

"I didn't say I minded. If you were having fun, so was I."

She was silent for a few moments, and time seemed to drag as they stood there, Jacob crouching slightly in the small cave. She pressed her lips together, listening to the sound of the water hitting the lagoon in front of them.

"That was fun," she said finally, motioning to the lagoon where they had just emerged from. "We should dive again. "

He nodded, looking slightly disappointed. Swallowing her fear, she moved past him, brushing dangerously close to his body as she slid past the narrow rocks, teasing him. She could feel him suck in a breath as her bathing suit clad bottom brushed against the front of his swimming trunks, but she kept moving. They easily climbed up the rock face of the cliff in silence, finally reaching the top after a few minutes of climbing.

Once there, she turned to look at him as she adjusted her swimsuit. Her plan had worked at least a little – he could barely take his eyes off of her in it.

Her eyes met his with a satisfied stare when she caught him watching her, but he simply looked away. She followed his gaze as he stared out over the tree tops to the ocean, the waves crashing against the white beach far below.

"Let's go," she said, motioning him forward. He moved toward her, and she stuck out her chest again as she arranged her hair in preparation to dive. Suddenly, his hot hands were on her sides and she felt herself being catapulted off the rock face. She hit the water below a second before he did, and this time when they surfaced she barely had time to breath before his lips were on hers.

Renesmee sputtered for a second, surprised at the shock of falling from such a height and then being assaulted by Jacob's lips…not that she was complaining.

His mouth moved against hers hungrily, and she felt her arms wrap around his neck as they bobbed in the water. She jumped slightly as her body bumped against the rocks; she realized that he had floated them over to the side of the lagoon, not that she would have noticed. Her head was spinning as he continued to give her deep, needing, open mouthed kisses. It was an attack at the very least, but a welcome one. She shivered as her back was pressed up against a flat rock, Jacob pinning her against it.

Renesmee gasped slightly as his mouth made its way to her cheek, then to her neck, then down to lightly scrape his teeth against her ear.

"You've been teasing me," he said, his voice gruff. She looked at him sideways, fighting the urge to smile.

"What's your point?"

"You're going to make me do bad things, Renesmee."

"So it did work then?"

"You make me so crazy sometimes… that I want to…"

She didn't wait to hear his response. "So do it then," she countered back, sucking in a ragged breath as she felt her hands start to shake. A rumble sounded deep in his chest, and his eyes seemed to darken before the words were out of her mouth.

"You mean it?"

She nodded. "Of course I do."

Jacob stayed there, frozen against the rocks, their bodies pressed up against each other in the cool water of the lagoon, the waterfall crashing down behind them. She felt him grown hard against her thigh, his stiff member making a blush rise in her cheeks.

"And I know you want to, too," she whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Jacob's dark brown eyes suddenly turned to black lust.

He pressed his body flush against hers, making her temporarily tongue tied. Her previous boisterousness and daring mouth had frozen, slightly agape as she watched him. The need to suddenly be careful hung in the air. She had never seen him look as wild as he did now with his jet black, shaggy hair hanging down the sides of his dark face, clinging to his defined jaw. His eyes were blacker than the deepest, darkest night and suddenly alive with such fire that it made her want to whimper slightly.

"Jake?"

Her voice seemed to startle him out of his daze, and he jumped slightly. He suddenly pushed his body away from the rocks, floating backwards into the misty water. Renesmee bit her lip and watched him move away from her, his coppery muscles flexing as he swam away from her.

"Jake," she repeated, pushing off the rocks. She swam after him, her hair fanning out behind her in the water as she moved. He moved so that he was behind the waterfall, out of her sight. Jacob was up out of the water, sitting on a flat rock at the water's edge. His knees where drawn up to his chest, his head resting on his arms, appearing to be deep in thought.

With a grunt she hoisted herself up out of the water, crawling across the rock to sit cross legged a few feet from him.

They were silent again, and it began to eat at her. This wasn't how she wanted things to be at all.

"What's wrong?"

He lifted his head, glancing over at her. His dark eyes were back to normal now, the fire and wildness gone. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it and didn't.

"Tell me," she insisted, her timid void echoing off the nearby rocks. He didn't meet her gaze.

"You're making me crazy."

She snorted to herself, biting back a sarcastic laugh. _She was making him crazy? Try the other way around…._

"Speak for yourself."

"What?" he asked, lifting his head up off his arms.

She shook her head, dropping her eyes to the rocky surface below her. Her fingertips moved absently over the smooth rocks in the cave behind the waterfall, focusing on anything but his eyes. If he caught her at the right moment, she knew that one look from those eyes would make her say anything he wanted her to.

"Never mind. Why am I making you crazy?"

"You just are. I…I can't explain it."

"That's insulting. I'm making you crazy and you can't even say why?"

"No. You just are."

"So don't make me make you go crazy."

He lifted one eyebrow skeptically. "Easy for you to say. You…you don't know how un-hinged you make me, Renesmee."

"I have an idea," she muttered, feeling the rocks again. She looked back up at him, narrowing her gaze. When she saw the worried look in his features, her frown instantly lightened.

"Why is this so hard for you?"

"You have no idea how not hard it is. You're insatiable when it comes to my control."

"Why the need for so much control?" she asked, her voice rising. "Jake I….I'm here with you, and finally ready to …._be_ with you like I'm meant to be, and it's like you've changed your mind or something."

"Ness, I-"

"No, let me finish," she said, holding up her hand. "Here I am, just…blatantly throwing myself at you, and you want to give me this and that speech about control and…and…Jacob I'm going to combust. You can save me or let me collapse into myself like a dying star here, but if something doesn't happen, and soon, _I'm _going to go crazy here. Not like sexually frustrated crazy, but really off my rocker nuts."

He stared at her for a moment, recognition crossing his features.

"You too?"

"Jake…this shouldn't come as a big surprise."

His top teeth raked against his bottom lip as he drew it into his mouth. She could see the perfect row of white teeth, and it made a shiver of lust shoot up her spine.

_I want that mouth to do things to me…bad things,_ she thought with a raspy breath.

"I thought I was the only one that was going to combust."

Renesmee pulled her knees up to her chest, mirroring his position. "You know, I sometimes think that I can feel what you feel, too. I think it goes both ways."

"Really?" he mist from the waterfall joined with the humidity in the air, rolling towards them and coating their bodies. It gave Jacob and even more surreal glow when she had the courage to peek at him.

"It's just a thought, but….either that or my sex drive is going bonkers and I've started imagining things."

Jacob lifted his head and laughed, the sound echoing off the rocks. "You and me both, honey."

"So….can we at least fool around like you promised? And can you promise not to freak out about it like my father would?"

"Hey, now," he said sternly. "I am _not_ your father."

Renesmee giggled, hiding her face in her arms. "I know," she admitted, looking back up. She stood, offering her hand to him. He took it, encasing her in the warmth that only his hands could give her.

"Come on. Let's go home. But promise me something."

"Anything," he said, his voice firm.

She smiled cockily, feeling some of her boldness from earlier seeping back into her veins. Pressing her hand to his collar bone, she sent him a message.

_The next time I try to seduce you, act like you at least enjoy it._

With a giggle, she took off at vampire speed away from the rocky waterfalls. His mouth fell open slightly for a second before he bolted after her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

That evening, she stepped out of the shower and painstakingly dried herself off. Sometimes she thought the chilly water of the shower was the only thing that would make her feel better from all of her pent up sexual tension. At least when the cool droplets of water were sliding down her body she was able to feel a little bit better.

Everything was just so hot there on the island. _ The sun, the air…Jacob. _She wrung out her hair in the sink and wrapped the towel around her body. Just thinking about how the weather affected his muscled body made a shiver run down her spine.

She wasn't' sure what was more torturous; being only his 'friend' and not knowing how he felt about her, or knowing that they were soul mates and would be together forever and not knowing how to get the ball rolling. Would their love be a like a dam overflowng, the water bursting through the cracks until it finally bursts? Or would it be like an explosion?

Licking her lips, she began to meticulously comb out her long, coppery hair. It was weather like this that made her want to cut it sometimes. Her nerves made her hand shake slightly as she yanked it through her locks.

Once she was dry, she took the time to wash her face and brush her teeth, determined to actually put some effort into her appearance tonight. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she was going to be ready for something if it did occur. Her body hair grew at a quarter of the pace of a real human's, so shaving was something she rarely had to do. Tonight – she had definitely shaved all the important places. Renesmee caught her own reflection in the mirror and instantly felt guilty.

_You don't have to feel guilty anymore. Lust…is allowed now. _

Biting her lip, she finger combed her hair nervously as her curls began to dry. She took her hair to the left side of her head, twisting it so that the curls hung in a cascade down the left side of her body. She pinned a few specifically, making it look like one of Alice's creations. Then, she carefully applied a hint of mascara and some shiny mint flavored clear gloss. Pleased with her effort, she walked back into the bedroom where her suitcase lie to pick out an outfit.

Now, habit called her to some frayed cut off shorts and a plain old tank top. Normally, Alice was lucky if Renesmee actually branched out enough to pick a color besides black or dark grey when it came to shirts; however, tonight Renesmee was determined to make Alice proud. She wasn't sure how much her aunt could see of her and Jacob on the island, but she wanted to please her just the same.

"This is for you, Alice!" she giggled, pulling the brightly patterned sundress out of the suitcase. Pulling it on, she rearranged her hair and smoothed out the dress. She had to admit, she looked pretty good.

Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to calm her frazzled nerves by remembering that it was just Jacob out in the kitchen waiting for her_. Just Jake._

She padded down the hallway, only to be surprised by the fact that the kitchen was deserted. Dirty pots and pans sat in the sink, but Jake was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, she heard someone clear their throat in the next room. Her eyes drifted to the dining room, which ran along the front of the house, facing the beach.

She gasped when she saw Jacob standing in the doorway, his hands sheepishly crossed in front of him.

"Jake," she said softly, taking him in. He stood in front of her, looking debonair and classy in his stylish khaki cargo pants and a button down white shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscled forearms. The top of the shirt had a few buttons undone, exposing his tan chest. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she could tell that he had tried to look good for her.

She walked over to where he stood, finally seeing what was behind him. The dining room table was set for two with the nicer white plates, complete with candles and plumeria flowers from the island tossed casually on the white linen tablecloth. The late evening sunset shone through the glass windows, casting a warm yet dim glow on the room.

Renesmee looked back at him, her heart melting. He had done this for _her._

A smile crept onto his face, and she walked over and threw her arms around his neck tightly. "You did all this for me?" she said into his chest.

She felt him nod against her. "Of course I did," he said. "Who else would I pick flowers for?"

Releasing him, she stepped back as her heart began to flutter in her chest. She felt blood rising in her cheeks, but for once she didn't really care.

"Come on, let's eat. I'm starving!" he laughed, taking her small hand in his large, hot one. He led her to her seat at the table, even pulling out her chair for her.

_Wow. He is really trying here. I feel so bad…about Stefan, about Denali…about everything. He is trying to make this so romantic for me…_

She felt herself blush harder when he sat down and gave her a nervous smile.

"Uh…well...I cooked for you. But…it's n-not what uh…it's nothing special. Not like Stefan's five course meal…but…"

Jacob was remembereing the night the Stefan had politely offered to cook for the wolves and Renesmee in Denali before they left. He was able to remember food more vividly than any of the other vampires present, and had a real talent for cooking. Jacob had sulked for almost a full day after they had enjoyed the meal.

She reached out, putting her hand on his as he stuttered around for his words. "Jake, if you made it, I'll love it." She said. He gave her a grateful smile and revealed the large serving bowl full of macaroni and cheese.

"A classic," she assured him. She picked up one of the plumeria blossoms that was sitting on the table and grinned at him as she daintily tucked it behind her ear. As Jacob watched her, his eyes darkened slightly he stood there. Suddenly remembering the meal, he took his seat at the head of the table, right next to her. His leg bumped into hers under the linen table cloth, and he jumped.

"Sorry!" he cringed, pulling his leg back against the chair. Renesmee could sense the awkwardness in the air, and did her best to smile at him reassuringly.

"It's okay. I like being close to you," she blurted out. Reaching her feet around under the table, she finally found his bare foot and covered his with hers. Heat sizzled up from even his feet as they sat there together, playing a subdued version of 'footsie'.

He motioned for her to serve herself first, and she did. Mac and cheese was one of the few traditional meals that Renesmee enjoyed when it came to human food. She gave herself a large portion of the cheesy noodles, giving him a shy smile as she picked up her fork. Jacob scraped the rest of the bowl onto his plate, his eyes large with anticipation. Renesmee shook her head and laughed.

"What?" he asked self-consciously, picking up his fork.

Renesmee smiled and let her eyes drift to his plate that was now loaded up with food.

Suddenly, he realized that he looked like a pig in front of her – and strangely, that suddenly bothered him.

"Did you want more? You can have mine," he said quickly, picking up his place.

"No no, she said, stopping him. "It's fine. I was just thinking that you loved your food more than anything else in the world and now-" she stopped herself.

Now it was Jake's turn to blush. _Just say it. Just go with it and say it, _he heard Seth's voice ring in his head.

"I…I'd give you anything I have, Nessie," he said softly, his dark eyes suddenly a bit emotional. Her heart swelled at his confession, and she tenderly touched his reddening cheek.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, looking back down at her plate. Jake sighed, obviously as nervous as she was. Glancing back up at him, she smiled when she took in the way the warm candle light illuminated his glorious tan skin.

"You know…when I was little I wanted to be just like you. Tan…a wolf…"

He smiled. "I know. You used to show me all the time. You wanted to turn into a wolf so that we could run together," he laughed.

"We still can," she reminded him. He nodded, and her eyes lit up. "I am excited to know that Collin and Estrella will be around…always," she added with a laugh. Jacob nodded.

"Yeah, I know," he said, pushing his food around on his plate. "I told him that he would be glad to have her, even if it did freak him out at first."

She nodded. "I know…I…I heard you that day," she quietly admitted, her eyes falling down to her plate. She remembered what he had said about the stroke of luck Collin had had to imprint on a half breed.

"You did?" he asked in shock, his brown eyes growing wide.

"Yeah…it was so sweet, Jake…I…"

"Yeah..well…I meant it. Every word," he finally acknowledged. She smiled at him, her pale, slightly sun burnt cheeks glowing with pride.

"Really?"

Jacob laughed. "Of course silly…I mean…Emily and Claire and Jackie are all nice but…they're so fragile and…well, _slow_," he laughed nervously. "It's nice to know that we can go out together and just run and explore and live life…and you..you understand what it's like to not be like everyone else."

She smiled nervously, taking a small bite of her food. She chewed thoughtfully, remembering his conversation.

"You said that he would have a mate for life in her, Estrella."

Jacob looked at her, his eyes unsure and questioning, before nodding slowly. "I did."

"So…is that how you think of me?"

He thought for a moment, surprised by her blunt question. He should have been used to her blunt form of questioning by now, but it still sometimes took him by surprise.

"Well…I told you Ness…I'm gonna stay with you forever. And…I'm here to be what you need me to be. It's my duty and my….my need. It doesn't have to be as your…mate," he said, spitting out the last word. "I don't want you to think of it that way," he admitted.

Renesmee tucked a slightly frizzy curl behind her ear and swallowed timidly. It was now or never. What better time to say something like this than during a romantic candle lit meal?

_There really was none._

"Jake what…w-what if I want to think of you that way?" she asked, her brown eyes rising up to meet his. Their gazes locked for few moments, and he lost the ability to breath.

Had she just said what he thought she did?

Renesmee sat in her chair, her knees touching his, her body quivering slightly. Now that her words were out in the open, there was no taking them back – and she knew she wouldn't ever want to.

Her next words came up into her mouth without her control – not that she minded.

"Will you kiss me?" she breathed, leaning over the corner of the table. He didn't need to be asked twice.

"I thought I didn't have to ask?"

Jacob was drawn to her mouth like a magnet – nothing but the sheer force of God himself could have stopped him mouth from moving against hers now. She gasped against his hot lips as the collided together. The might of their mouths coming together was strong but delectable as felt her eyes flutter shut.

Soon, her hands were up over the table, weaving themselves into his hair. She smiled to herself as he heard him groan against her wanting mouth, his hands reaching under the table to grip her knees. She couldn't handle it anymore – she needed to feel him.

With vampire speed, she moved to straddle him on the expensive upholstered chair that he was on. She kept her steadily moistening core away from his as she sat on his lap, her feet still on the floor – even if she was just holding herself up on the tips of her toes. Jacob was trying to keep his hands innocent, but his imprint's hands grabbing at his hair and her mouth crashing against his repeatedly.

Renesmee kissed at his mouth softly for a few moments, and then she would press her soft lips firmly against his suddenly, taking him by surprise. It was the good kind of surprise though – the kind that made his heart pound and his head light and dizzy. It made him feel so good, in fact, that he found his hands settling on the round, slightly firm curves of her backside.

"Mmm," she mumbled against his mouth, taking it as a sign to lower her center onto his lap and grind instinctively against his steadily hardening manhood.

_Stop! This isn't right yet…she's not sure what she wants…damn hormones…_ his mind screamed at him.

He pulled himself painstakingly away from her, picking her up as he stood. He placed her back down beside the table, and turned to stand in front of the glass windows.

"Jake?" she said, a hand rising up to push her hair out of her face.

"Ness…" he finally answered, turning around. He had to wait until he was.._calmer _to face her.

"Jake what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," he said, walking up to her. "Nothing is wrong. I just…I want you to be sure."

"But…I am _sure_!"

He pulled back and looked at her, his dark eyes searching hers. "Yeah?"

She nodded, and his pulled her into his chest tightly, savoring the feeling of her body present against his, even if it was completely innocent.

"Come with me," he offered, taking her hand in his again. They left their only partially-eaten food on the table and walked out onto the beach. The island sun was beginning to set, just barely dipping below the horizon. They walked down to the shore, Jacob only stopping when their bare feet were just touching the surf as it lapped at the shore.

He stared out at the water for a long time, his eyes searching. She watched him carefully, unsure of whether or not she should break the silence.

"Do you want dessert?" He asked slowly, looking down at the sand.

She laughed, looking around the beach. "Um, sure?"

He laughed with her. "Okay, stay here," he said, turning to run up the beach. She shook her head as he disappeared into the tree line, rummaging around in the forest. He was acting so _strange._

"Oh Jake," she muttered, sitting down on the site sand. Digging her toes into the white powder, she bit her lip. He had tried so hard with dinner…was he expecting something now?

Jake returned a few minutes later, his large tan hands full of a familiar looking orange fruit.

"Nisperos!" she exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands. "I completely forgot that these grew here!"

"Yeah," he laughed, handing her several of them. The orange, fuzzy fruit was a tropical treat that they used to eat all the time on Isle Esme – Jake and Nessie were the only ones who could appreciate the tangy flavor of the loquat fruit, or 'nisperos' as the locals referred to them.

"You used to love these when you were a kid," he said, sitting down next to her. She felt goose bumps rise up on her arm where his own arm brushed up against it.

She grinned at him as she began to peel the skin off the fruit, biting into it with her sharp teeth.

Jacob grinned as he did the same.

"I guess it wasn't really that long ago."

"What was?"

"Me. Being a kid."

Jacob looked down at the juicy fruit in his hands, nodding solemnly. "No, it wasn't."

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the waves roll toward them. The last remnants of the sun bounced off the blue green water, giving them a picture perfect sunset.

She turned and looked at him as she chewed. Swallowing, she asked, "Is that strange?"

"What?"

"That I was a kid…like two years go. And now here I am full grown. Is that strange for you?"

He shook his head. "No..well..yeah…I mean…it's strange but not in a bad way."

"What do you mean?"

He thought a moment, taking another bite out of his fruit. She could tell he was trying to stall. He glanced up at the sunset, then at her as he swallowed.

"Well…it's strange that you're only seven and a half. Yeah...I'd be lying if I said that wasn't strange. But…I'm not complaining."

"Why?" she prodded. She could tell by the tone in his voice that he was leaving something out.

He licked his lips and looked out at the sunset again. "Well…it's just that I see guys like Seth and Embry…who…get to have their imprints right away. It didn't seem fair all the sudden. After all that time…I didn't care that you were little. I just enjoyed it. I honestly did – and I was glad when you finally turned seven and I didn't have to feel _bad _about thinking…certain things anymore."

"Certain things?"

He nodded, and she raised an eyebrow when she noticed the flush rising in his tan cheeks.

"Like?" she prodded.

He shook his head. "We won't go into that."

"Jake…it's okay to tell me now. It's okay."

"You'll think I'm gross."

"No I won't."

"It's weird for me to talk about it."

She was silent for a moment, her heart sinking to her feet. Was this more than they could handle? They were both silent as he pressed his dark hand into the sand, burying it in the powder-like substance. He raised it up, letting the perfect white pebbles fall away and blow slightly in the late-evening breeze.

"I feel bad, Ness," he finally spoke. She looked at him, perplexed.

"Why?"

He sighed, looking out at the sunset. The sun cast a warm glow on the rippling water, making it look almost orange and pink.

"Because you can't see inside my head like my pack mates can, or like Edward can. I wish you could see how it was for me. It wasn't…I mean…I always used to get teased about imprinting on a baby, but it wasn't like that. I just wish you could see it."

She reached out, touching his arm gently. "Jake, I know. I understand. I see Quil with Claire – I know it's not anything that it shouldn't be. I'm not worried about it."

She reached out, touching his arm gently. "Jake, I know. I understand. I see Quil with Claire – I know it's not anything that it shouldn't be. I'm not worried about it."

"I was," he admitted. "But not for that reason. Really the opposite. Here you were a few weeks from your seventh birthday, and I still saw you as this little girl, a child. God, even as a little kid you were the prettiest baby I ever saw. Before I saw you, I didn't even think most babies were even that cute. They were just kinda red and wrinkly and just kinda lay there…But you were adorable. I told Eddie that even if I hadn't imprinted on you that I would have fallen in love with you anyhow because you were just so darn likeable. Everyone always liked you….from the start. You made it easy….And then as you grew up I….things stayed the same, at least for me in my head. But you weren't the same anymore, really. You were still you, just…different. I guess if you were a human you would have been almost seventeen. That's still not old enough to…well…it shouldn't be old enough to…" he paused, wincing at his words.

"I just…I couldn't see you how I wanted to see you. At all. And then…it happened. It just…I saw you. I really _saw _you, you know?"

She nodded. "I know exactly, Jacob."

He smiled, looking back down at the sand. "I know. And, that's the amazing part. But I was worried for so long that it wasn't going to happen for us. I lived in horror every day as I worried about you meeting some other guy who-"

"Jake," she laughed. "Who would I meet?"

His expression hardened slightly, and then grew somewhat dejected.

"Oh," she said sluggishly. "I see. Stefan."

He nodded. "Yeah. Suddenly what I feared the most was happening, and before I even had a chance to.."

She wove her arm in his, leaning her head of copper curls down on his head. "I get you. I…Jake I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, just…let me say this. Suddenly, the thing I feared the most had happened. You were off with him, happy and in love, and here I was. The asshole who couldn't get his shit together now that he finally could see you…and I felt like I had lost the whole world. Just…had it slip right out of my hands."

"You didn't though. I showed you how I felt…when I was with him," she said, standing up from the sand. He looked up at her, squinting slightly as the late evening sun began to dip below the horizon.

She offered him her hand, and pulled him up to stand next to her.

"I don't want you to be angry with me about Stefan…forever," she said softly, her voice firm. "I showed you something very private that happened between us, and….I only did it so that you could see-"

"I did see!" he assured her gently, letting his arm drape over her shoulders as they walked along the white sand beach. The water lapped gently at their feet as they began to walk.

"I'm still….I mean we never…"

Jacob chuckled, throwing his head back as he laughed. "Yeah Ness, I know. You don't have to tell me that," he laughed. She didn't have to say she was still a virgin - nether did he. They both practically oozed it from their skin, especially now.

"That's irrelevant."

"If you say so _dearie," _he snorted, pulling her closer as they walked along the beach.

Renesmee huffed but didn't fight back; she was just grateful that Jacob seemed to be getting over the Stefan ordeal with more grace than she thought he ever would have. She hadn't forgotten about his little story about fooling around with another girl while he was away at school. When she really thought about it, she was more jealous than anything. The thought of another girl pleasing _her _Jacob in that way was almost more than she could handle. Determination set in as she decided that she would do anything she could do one-up that girl, even if she had no idea what really went on.

"So are you ever going to tell me what happened with that girl at school?" she asked matter of factly as they reached the end of the beach. Jacob froze, stopping in his tracks as he pulled a leaf out of her way as they entered the jungle.

"What made you think of that?" he asked.

"You're stalling."

"I know. But really…what made you think of that?"

She shrugged, pushing past him. "I told you what I did with Stefan. So now you get to tell me what happened with…"

"Carly."

She looked over her shoulder, raising one eyebrow as a mixture of rage and jealousy boiled in her chest. "Carly? Really Jake? You couldn't even find a girl with a different name than my middle one?"

He growled deep in his chest. Now it was his turn to push past her deeper into the green forest.

"Are you kidding me?"

"It was stupid, alright?"

"Well I know that," she grumbled back, stalking after him into the forest.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his dark skin illuminated even in the dim light. The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon, but she had no intention of turning back

until she knew what had happened between Jacob and this 'Carly' girl.

They walked in silence for a few moments, the tension between them tangible in the setting sunlight. They wove through the path that they usually ran down, no sound but their breaths and heartbeats.

When they reached a clearing halfway up the hill, they stopped to look out at the ocean. The trees parted just enough that they could see out on the horizon. The sun was fully beneath the water now, the last traces of it glowing in the skin. In the distance, dark

clouds had appeared and were steadily rolling in.

"Storm's coming," Jacob finally said, awkwardly breaking the silence. She nodded, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"So what happened?"

Jacob heaved a sigh, swatting in frustration at a palm leaf that happened to be too close to his hand.

"I was stupid, that's what happened."

"Jake-"

He turned to her quickly, grabbing her shoulders firmly. "You really want to know Ness?

Do you?"

She looked at him in shock, and he instantly loosened his grip. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you this but….I…I was drunk and stupid and I missed you so much that it hurt. I knew that I'd messed up my chances with having you and I knew that Edward hated me and…I hurt so bad that I just wanted to do something to make it go away for a second. And I thought that letting some stupid girl take advantage of me would make me feel better for just a split second. All I wanted was a moment where you weren't burned into my mind. But you know what? It didn't work. It sucked and it hurt because I felt like I was cheating on you and I hated myself. I hated myself Ness. It was easily the biggest mistake of my life, besides leaving you in the woods after I kissed you. It was….it was awful. It wasn't you, and…that's it. It just wasn't _you_."

She was silent for a moment, watching his face. It was dark and drawn, his eyebrows pushed together and his eyes stormy and troubled. Pressing her lips together, she began to feel slightly guilty that she had made him bring this up; it obviously wasn't what

she had envisioned, and she felt even more foolish and petty now.

He released his grip on her shoulders, stalking away. "I've gone and…fucked things up again," he muttered, dragging his hand across his jaw line in a stressful manner.

Renesmee sighed, tentatively putting one foot in front of the other until she was standing beside him again. They were quiet again for several moments, both of them lost in their thoughts. He felt like an idiot for even contemplating the idea that Carly would suffice in place of his imprint, even for one second. His head ached even now

just thinking about it.

"What did you do with her?"

Renesmee's voice was scared and small, almost timid as she asked the question that had been plaguing her since he first admitted it in the first place. She knew that it would bother her, but she would always wonder if she didn't ask.

Jacob shook his head. "I'm not going into that."

Renesmee fumed. "If you love me so much and we're so perfect, then we shouldn't have secrets. You've said it yourself Jacob, forever too is far too long to have secrets

and be angry."

He turned his head slightly, looking at her sideways. The last light from the sunset was reflecting off the water, hitting the planes of his hardened face. He was so statuesque that she almost lost her complete train of thought.

"Just tell me," she said. "You didn't have sex with her," she stated, ending the words like a question.

"No, I certainly didn't. She….I…I was drunk and we went upstairs and….god Ness, I

hate myself for this but…we fooled around and…"

Renesmee set her jaw, staring out at the open water of the ocean below. The waves were calm; it was the calm before the storm set in. Thunder sounded in the distance, and her eyes scanned the horizon for the darkening clouds. They continued to roll steadily in, fast approaching just like the darkness that was settling over their

conversation.

"So she put her mouth on you?" she replied, still staring straight forward.

She didn't have to be looking at him to see his eyes bulge slightly. "That's not important."

"I'm not an idiot Jacob Black, and it's really insulting to think that you think of me as one. I've grown up in a house full of married people my whole life and you think I didn't know

what a blow job is?"

He was flabbergasted to hear _that _phrase come from _her _mouth. "I never s-said that. I was just surprised that you…well…"

"I know what it is." Her tone was sour and hurt; jealousy continued to stir in her chest.

Jacob stepped closer to her, reaching his hand out to touch her arm. His hand froze and clenched midair as he debated what was the best way to help the situation.

"Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," she replied quickly, kicking at the dirt that lined the ledge where they stood. "I'm….I guess I'm just jealous."

"Jealous? Renesmee Cullen, you have no reason to be jealous of her. That girl was….She…ah, God Bless it, she was…nothing to me. I've said it before and I'll say it again and I'd say it until the end of forever. I let her use me, and I guess I used her a bit too. I went upstairs with her, we kissed, I came, and then I left her there and never saw her again."

"One more question," Renesmee replied, tilting her chin down. She stared at the ground below, contemplating how she should phrase this.

"Dare I even ask?" Jacob muttered to himself, running a hand through his shaggy hair. He still looked handsome in his dress up clothes, despite thin line of sweat dripping down the sides of his face from his hair. He looked to be the definition of hot and bothered, but she wasn't about to let this conversation drop.

"If I mean so much to you, then why wouldn't you let me do the same thing to you? I mean….if she meant nothing…Jake, she still got to _t-touch_ you," she replied, her voice shaking slightly.

He looked over at her, completely shocked. "That's what this is about? You want to one up the stupid girl that I messed around with in college? Come on Ness, that's not what this is about."

"It is though. You say I'm so special and important to you, yet…yet you won't even sleep in the same bedroom as me, or let me touch you or make love to you. I've been throwing myself at you and she gets you in one night. It just doesn't feel fair, Jake. I just want to _be_ with you."

He pressed his lips together as he stared out at the ocean, deep in thought. There was another long silence before he spoke again.

His shoulders slumped and his eyes were forlorn as he turned to look at her. "Look, Ness…." He began softly. Taking her hands in his, he pressed his thumbs into her palms and sighed.

"I don't care that you messed around or did whatever with Stefan. I really don't. It's not worth getting upset over anymore. Carly was a stupid mistake, and I was being stupid when I did that. I don't do things like that with you because…because I'm afraid."

Her breath was tight in her throat. "Afraid of what, Jake? Like you said it's just…it's just me."

"I know that. Exactly – it's you. She meant _nothing _to me. She was nice enough, and I'm sure she'll make someone somewhere really happy someday. But she wasn't for me. I already know that I was made for you and I can't let myself mess that up."

His hands gripped hers gently, transferring the heat into her palms. "Ness, the other night when we….did that on the couch I almost lost any semblance of control that I had. You make me…I…I can't even describe…how you make me feel. Especially…in that sense. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Renesmee listened intently, trying to calm herself down enough to actually take what he was saying to heart. "I guess," she mumbled as he stared down at her.

Jacob sighed, pulling her in against his chest. His arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her against him. "I would die if I lost control and hurt you Ness. I've seen what can happen when imprints….in the pack mind….I've seen my brothers accidently hurt their imprints before without even realizing it. Our…size," he choked, loosening his grip on her, "Makes things a bit difficult sometimes. My brothers felt like ripping their own hair out after hurting their imprints when all they tried to do was love them. If I hurt you I would never be able to forgive myself."

Renesmee nodded, hugging him closer again. On one hand, she was relieved and very touched that Jacob didn't want to hurt her; however at that point her frustration with their situation had grown to a point that it was almost intolerable. An image of her black-eyed, lust-ridden version of Jacob as he hovered above her flashed in her mind. Her heart swelled as he embraced her again, this time pulling her close enough to press a kiss to her temple.

"You would never hurt me on purpose Jake."

"It's not on purpose that I'm worried about," he admitted quietly, rocking them back and forth slightly. Renesmee burrowed her head into his chest, squeezing him as much as she could without hurting him.

Maybe she had been going about this entirely wrong. Maybe…maybe working at it was what made it so hard in the first place. She had tried flirting; throwing herself at him, begging him…it finally dawned on her that perhaps letting things happen naturally would work best for them. Had they been relying too much on the imprint to bring them together like they were meant to be? Suddenly, she thought so. Maybe something else should bring them together.

_Maybe that something is love,_ she thought.

'_I love you'_ was always something Jacob had said to her as a baby and a little girl. He had even insisted on saying it to her every day until she was nearly six years old. At that point she had insisted without a second thought that it was weird for him to say that he constantly loved her, and he had stopped saying it right away.

_That must have really hurt his feelings…god I was such an intolerable little brat…_ she thought to herself with remorse.

They stood there together at the edge of the forest and embraced, watching as the sun set all the way. The dark clouds rolled in quickly, bringing a tropical storm their way. The temperature on the island began to drop as the dark front blew their way. As the rain began to fall, she lifted her head off his chest and placed her hand on his cheek to get him to look at her.

_No, say this out loud,_ she mentally chided herself, drawing her hand back. She had expected this moment to be so difficult and nerve wracking, yet now that she was ready it felt like the easiest thing in the world to say.

"Jacob, I love you. I love you no matter what happens because I want to be by your side for as long as I live," she said softly, staring up into his eyes. They were simple words, yet fitting. Everything in the timeline of their new relationship had been so tumultuous so far that simplicity seemed like a welcome change.

Jacob seemed to be at a loss for words. She watched as his mouth dropped open slightly, a grin appearing on his face. His brilliant white teeth were revealed, making his entire face light up.

"But you're going to live forever," he pointed out with a light chuckle. She snorted to herself, blinking as a raindrop hit her cheek.

"Way to put two and two together," She giggled, reaching up to pull him down closer to her. She kissed him sweetly, trying her best to respect his fears about losing control with her. She believed him entirely when it came to that – they had gone further the other night then they ever had, and it had been completely new and exhilarating for both of them.

"I love you, Nessie," he whispered between kisses. She clasped her hands around his neck as the rain began to come down a little harder on them as they stood there, kissing.

"Forever," she stated, looking up at him. Her words were a solidifying statement.

"Yes. Forever. You're stuck with me," he said seriously before breaking into a grin.

"Let's go back before we get soaked. I want to have an old movie night," she said, grabbing his hand.

"Classics of the 90s?"

"You know it."

They ran back hand in hand, narrowly avoiding the downpour for most of their short run. However, at the last second the sky opened up with a bolt of lightning and drenched them both to the bone.

"Ulgh," she laughed, darting into the house. Jacob followed her, trying not to drip on the white carpet as she handed him a towel. They stood in the entryway, toweling off.

Renesmee's eyes raked down his chest as he peeled his wet shirt off, shaking his hair slightly as he did it. Her heart sped up slightly. Jacob looked up at her, and she instantly felt guilty for lusting after him so openly after having the conversation she just had.

His eyes met hers, and her heart began to stutter in her chest. It fluttered faster and faster the harder she tried to calm it down, and it was even worst to know that he could hear it.

Jacob gave her one of his cocky grins, sauntering across the distance between them. Leaning down, he placed a sweet, full, emotion filled kiss on her lips. He swiped his tongue across her bottom lip before pulling away, running his hand down her jawline.

"Go get changed, and I'll pick a movie," he said innocently, as if he had given her a simple peck. Her eyes fluttered back open, and she almost felt dizzy for a moment, even though she knew that wasn't possible.

Shaking her head, she turned and made her way into the bedroom to change with wobbly knees. When she had changed into a pair of silky pink shorts and a plain white shirt, she made her way back. He was waiting for her in the small TV room off the kitchen instead of the large white room from several nights ago. This room was sunken down a few steps from the rest of the house, and overlooked the ocean on one side, and the gardens on the other. It had a smaller TV than the white room's looming plasma screen, and smaller, softer couches. In Renesmee's opinion, this room was much more her taste. It was comfy and cozy. Jacob was sprawled on the couch, munching on freshly popped bowl of popcorn as he waited for her. Thunder shook the walls slightly as the rain continued to pour down. It was completely dark now as the storm raged on outside the glass windows.

"So what did you pick?" she asked, surveying the stack on the ottoman in front of him.

"Just a few…" he mumbled, shoving more popcorn into his mouth. Renesmee picked them up, chuckling to herself.

"Really Jake?"

"Clueless is a funny movie. Cher is actually really witty," he pointed out. Renesmee rolled her eyes.

"You know, you and Alice actually have very similar taste in movies-"

"We do not!" he snapped playfully, making a face. Renesmee shrugged and popped the movie in, walking back over to the couch. He sat up as she sat down, straightening himself up slightly so that they were both sitting side by side on the overstuffed loveseat.

The movie began to play, and as soon as the opening credits hit the screen she felt his arm secure itself around her.

"What, no fake yawn?" she asked with a sideways smile. Jacob made another annoyed face, ignoring her.

They made it through Clueless and had put in another one of their favorites, True Lies as the storm continued outside. They had just gotten to a particular sexy scene in the movie when she felt Jacob's eyes on her.

"What?" she questioned, peeling her eyes off the screen to look at him. He shook his head as the main character clumsily attempted to seduce her husband.

"Well…it's kinda funny I mean…This scene is really awkward but it's also kind of hot," he laughed, rubbing lazy circles on her arm with his hand that was around her shoulders.

Renesmee smiled at the screen. "Yeah, it's kinda hot I guess," she agreed, giggling nervously.

Jake smiled, dropping his eyes to his lap for a moment. She watched as he looked back up at her, leaning in. His lips came into contact with hers and she felt herself shudder with a pleasant mixture of pleasure and desire. His other hand came around lightly cup her cheek, pulling her in closer.

Renesmee waited patiently as he kissed her; she didn't want this to end badly like it had recently. Jacob's kisses soon became deeper as he parted her lips with his tongue. His lips seemed to stroke hers, giving her goose bumps as his taste enveloped her mouth. Their tongues mingled together, exploring, tasting, and savoring each other. Her hand tangled itself in his hair as she tilted her head back, allowing him better access. A pleasant shudder rippled through her body as his hand moved down her neck, the heat warming her rain-chilled body.

Another jolt of pleasure travelled down her spine as his warm hand dragged down her neck, over her collar bone, and to cup her breast. She whined into his mouth as traced her pebbled nipple through the thin t-shirt she wore. He chuckled into her mouth as her back arched against the back of the couch.

"Jake…Jake wait," she said, pushing his hand away. He broke their kiss, looking slightly dejected.

"What's wrong? I thought this was….what you wanted," he admitted, looking down at her.

"It is, but…I thought we agreed-"

She was silenced by him pressing his lips back onto hers. "You said it yourself…we just get in trouble when we talk. Let's just…let me try something okay?" he asked.

Her eyes watched his face as he kissed her sweetly on the lips, trying to get her to respond. She felt like she was breaking a rule by keeping her eyes open while he kissed her, but she wanted to watch his face for any sign that he was doing something he didn't want to. The thought of Jacob losing control hadn't even entered her mind before that night.

"Mmm," he groaned, moving so that he could push her down onto the white couch cushions. He settled himself between her like before, but this time he kissed her with such craving that it was much different. It wasn't tentative or fleeting; it was with purpose.

They continued to make out on the couch for several more minutes, each one of them getting used to kissing with such fervor. A sigh escaped her lips as his hand slid down her side, brushing against the side of her breast. Jacob smiled as he broke another kiss, this time dragging his lips down her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin. She groaned, clenching her fists as her sides. It seemed like now he was teasing her.

He slid off of her, moving so that he was lying beside her with his back against the couch. Their legs were still intertwined, but she missed the contact that his weight gave her.

Opening her eyes, she gave him a questioning look. She felt Jacob's chest move slightly as he chuckled, the noise rumbling in his chest. "Would you relax? I'm nervous enough for the both of us. I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded, relaxing only slightly as he pressed his lips against her neck, just below her ear. Her eyes squeezed shut on their own accord, relishing the pleasant shivers that wracked her spine when he did that. She could feel his arousal poking at her leg through his sweatpants, but he didn't seem embarrassed. Her breath shook slightly as he moved his mouth up the side of her face, pausing to nip at her earlobe.

"Oh!" she gasped, gripping his hand.

"Ow, Ness," he joked, unwringing her hand.

"Sorry," she said wryly, giving him a sympathetic look. He chuckled in the same pleasant way again, giving her a grin. The dim light from the TV caught his brilliant white teeth and she was once again reminded how beautiful this man beside her was.

"You're too kind," he murmured, dipping his head down again to swipe his tongue across her bottom lip. She blushed with embarrassment; she had slipped yet again and shown him her thoughts. However, she didn't have much more time to worry about it. Jacob continued to kiss her as his hand found its way to her abdomen, pleasantly burning her through her thin cotton t-shirt. Her breath hitched as it slowly slid down further, his fingertips touching the elastic waist of her underwear.

His lips stilled on her mouth for a brief second before he spoke. "Do you want me to stop?"

The sinfully delightful tornado of lust that had begun to swirl in her core made her shake her head _'no'._ As nervous as she was, there was no turning back now. She didn't think her mouth was even capable of forming the words, '_No, let's stop Jacob,_' if her life depended on it.

Jacob lowered his face to hers again, joining their mouths as they kissed deeply. He was reveling in the idea that he was the only one who got to touch her this way_; him. _

_I'm the only one…not that stupid leech….me. Even when she was kissing him she was lusting after me…_

He tried to tame his wild, jealous yet satisfactory thoughts as he slid his hand down further to cover her womanly center over her silky underwear. Her breath trembled slightly, but he continued. He would take trembling and shaky breathing as a good sign. Her body shifted, seemingly on its own accord as she opened her legs wider, welcoming his hand. Moving slowly, he rubbed her through the thin material in a painstakingly slow manner.

Renesmee broke their kiss tilting her head back slightly as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Is this okay?" he asked, sitting up slightly to watch her face. He didn't think he would ever get tired of watching that face. So sweet and innocent, yet womanly and vixen-like all the same. It was a tantalizing duo for him. He took a moment to watch her moaning on the couch beneath him, sheer exultation written all over her slightly twisted up features. Pride surged inside of him as he realized he was giving her such pleasure. He wanted to give her more pleasure.

He dug into the back of his mind, trying to scour up memories from the pack's mind. It wasn't that he hadn't been mildly interested while his brothers were thinking about the tawdry details of their trysts with their imprints; it was just that none of that information had ever particularly pertained to him before. He and Quil usually just blocked it all out, ignoring it for the most part because their imprints were so much younger. Times like these…Jacob wished he had paid more attention.

His thumb brushed over her sensitive spot and she gasped. Jacob froze.

_Was that a good gasp or a bad one_?

He watched her face twist up again. It was joined with a tiny sigh as her eyes open. The expression she gave him was definitely an approving one.

He looked away from her for a split second as a loud clap of thunder pierced the night, a flash of lightning lighting up the sky outside. Rain poured down the windows outside, but she was oblivious. Jacob however, was fighting a battle.

He wanted to enjoy this moment and please her; yet his wild side ached to do something more.

_Control yourself,_ he thought bitterly.

Concentrating, he fought to turn his mind to his imprint's needs instead of his own.

"Mmm," she grunted lightly, turning her head. She burrowed her face into his arm that rested behind her head. Jacob continued to move his thumb across the silky material that covered her, focusing his attention to the spot that elicited the most pleasant noise from her.

She panted several times and shuddered as he continued his movements. He watched in fascination as her hips began to erratically thrust upwards slightly off the couch. Satisfaction surged again as he realized that he was the one to get to touch and feel her like this; he was the one giving her pleasure. Her pants became more labored, signaling she was close to her release. He _did_ know that much.

Renesmee sighed as he kissed down the side of her jaw, sucking lightly at the skin there. All the sudden he realized that the lacy fabric beneath his hands was damp with her release as she shook slightly beneath him. The breaths coming from her were shaky and labored, but still beautiful. Her alluring, sweet scent swam around him, threatening to cloud his vision and make his body do what it craved: to ravage the sexy, lust ridden creature in front of him. As much as he hated to, he held his breath of a few seconds until he knew he was back in control of the sex-starved wolf that paced deep within him. He would have to be controlled…for now.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Woo! What a wild ride, eh? I know that was a long one, but I had to hash out all of their issues before the uh…*cough wink* next chapter. That's all I will say. ; )

Hope you liked it! The next chapter is being beta'd and worked on – let's just say I was rather nervous about it? The journey these two have shared so far has been an epic one of sorts, and I wasn't about to let anyone down with the ummm..upcoming events.

**Be sure to head over to my photobucked (link is on my profile) to see my special album dedicated to the magic that is Isle Esme. Pics of the Blue Room, White room, kitchen, the waterfall, the beach, the house, the pool, etc. It's all there! **

**Also, tomorrow I will be posting a teaser for the next chapter on my blog! The link to that is also on my profile. **

**Review? **

As this story draws to a close, feedback is my creative Gatorade as I move towards the finish! ; )


	47. Hurt so Good

Flown a million miles just to find the magic seed  
Oh I would flower with the power that bring light to me.  
You're so exotic, my whole body fluttering  
Constantly craving for a taste of your sticky sweet

Always on the brink of a heart attack  
You can be alive and keep me coming back  
I see the sun rise in your eyes  
You gotta future full of blue skies

Even the seasons change  
I want it to stay the same.

You give me that...  
Hummingbird Heartbeat  
Spread my wings and make me fly  
The taste of your honey is so sweet  
When you give me the Hummingbird Heartbeat

_Hummingbird Heartbeat – Katy Perry_

**A.N. – Fitting song this week : )**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She glanced out at the horizon. Bits and pieces of pinks and oranges from the freshly set sun were still peeking above the ocean, quickly fading into black. The storm clouds were retreating to the far corner of the sky, and she was relieved. The rough winds and thunder of the storm clouds conveyed her internal feelings and it felt like the irony was mocking her.

Wiping a bead of sweat off her brow, she inhaled and tried to concentrate on their game. It was so hot and humid on the island, even after a day and a half of thunderstorms that she could barely stand it. The weather wasn't doing anything to enhance her mood; instead it was making her irritable and jumpy. Neither of which were a good thing for her at the moment.

They were out behind the house in the lovely little cabana Esme had built for them when Renesmee was little. When her family members had each paired off to spent time with their prospective mates, little Renesmee had been jealous. She had wanted a place she could go with her Jacob that was only theirs; so, Esme had helped Emmett and Jacob construct the cabana mean especially for them. She had wanted her own private place to play with Jacob when the family was on the island, and they had spent many hours there together playing games and lolling about in the confines of their private play place.

The deck that stretched around the entire house made a slight fork on the west side, the wooden deck extending almost a hundred feet, winding into a narrow little path through the gardens. It led all the way up to a large, thatched cabana that looked over the ocean. It had four bamboo walls that could be pulled down for privacy, but tonight they were open wide as they sat in their own special place, watching the tropical storm roll away on the breeze.

They were lounging on the all-weather couches, lazily engaged in a chess match that wasn't really going anywhere fast. Renesemee would make a move, and then gaze out at the ocean, deep in thought while Jacob contemplated his next tactic, and vice versa. They would occasionally talk; however, it was much harder to concentrate when it was so hot out.

Reaching over the window sill of the open, airy cabana, she plucked a large leaf off a nearby tree and began fanning herself with it. She didn't sweat often, and she had to be extremely hot to do so. Today, she was hot enough to sweat.

"Hot?" Jacob asked, looking up slightly as she fanned the large leaf towards her neck. She had her head tilted back slightly as she moved the leaf in front of her, and she raised her head back up to look at him.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled, sitting up straighter.

"We can go inside?" he offered. She shook her head, the few tendrils that had escaped her messy bun moving against her shoulders.

"It's hot in there too Jake."

He made a face and continued scowling down at the chess board. "Just an offer."

He made his move, and she laughed. Leaning forward, she made the final move with her piece to win the game.

"Check mate!" she giggled. Jacob stared incredulously at the board for a moment, and then a smile broke onto his face.

"I should have known you were waiting for something," he said, shaking his head. He moved his pieces back into starting position and sighed. "Want to play again?" he asked.

She sighed, glancing back out at the ocean. Jacob was sitting in front of her, wearing nothing but a pair of cut off, frayed khaki shorts. Sweat gleamed on his face and chest, making his tan skin look so good…she did not especially want to be playing chess with him at the moment. In fact, playing chess with Jacob was about as far from what she wanted to be doing as one could get. She swallowed, looking away from his gloriously tan, delicious looking body.

"Nah…it's too hot."

"Well, what to do you want to do?" he asked absently, fiddling with a chess piece as he leaned back on the couch. She extended her leg a little, letting her toes scrape his leg. He smiled, reaching down to suggestively drag his finger from her heel to the ball of her food. Then, just like every other time, he pulled his hand away when she really wanted him to do _more._

Her mind raced as she thought of a thousand things she wanted to do with Jacob – no, _to_ Jacob, but could easily guess that that wouldn't go over well. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as a bead of sweat slowly rolled down his chest and over the hilly features that were his abs.

"Ness?" he asked, looking at her. Blushing slightly, she looked up at him.

"Huh?"

"What do you want to do?" he repeated slowly. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head, annoyed that he had asked her that like she was three.

"It's so hot…"

"Oh, so we're gonna whine? Is that what we're gonna do?" he teased, standing up. He stood and stretched, earning him another sideways glance from Renesmee. She wasn't sure how it was possible for him to have such a variety of abdominal muscles gracing his stomach, but she suddenly felt the urge to count each one of them…preferably with her tongue. She shook her head, embarrassed at her lewd thoughts.

She panted slightly as she stood, pausing to twist her hair up into a better messy knot at the nape of her neck. She had actually opted for one of Alice's light, bright floral sundresses for the evening – the material felt nice against her skin, and it was also a tad sexy. It was a white halter dress that tied in the back, and it had a bright floral pattern on the front of it that was perfect for the island.

The waves crashed below them on the beach. The ocean was still a little rough from the storms, and the deep blue color looked inviting. The sunset was magnificent as she stared out at the horizon. The pale pinks and oranges of the traditional island sunset were mixed with the vibrant blues, purples, and greys of the storm clouds as they retreated across the sky.

"Let's go inside…I'm thirsty," she whined again, making her way out of the cabana and down the sidewalk. Jacob followed obediently, but snickered.

"What's so funny?" she asked, turning around to look at him. She glared playfully, giving him a teasing growl.

"You're…you're funny when you growl," he laughed, tripping slightly over his words.

"Funny?"

"Yeah," he said, giving her shoulder a light shove. She giggled, and then turned to face him again.

"Why did you laugh at me?"

He guffawed loudly, holding out his wrist to her. "If you're thirsty, just have a drink," he laughed. Renesmee narrowed her eyes, spinning around on her heel. She had known that was a bad thing to do the moment she had done it – it had been pure stupidity to drink from Jacob. _Even if it was the hottest thing ever…and god he tastes good…so exotic…and flavorful…no! _

"What's wrong?" he asked as she stormed away in the direction of the house. He trotted after her, grabbing her hand.

"Hey," he said, lowering his voice. The raspy, alluring tone of it made her stop and turn. Before she knew it, he had his arms wrapped tightly around her so that she couldn't move.

"What?" she asked, avoiding his gaze.

"What's wrong? I was just kidding. Unless you want to."

"You would let me?" she asked, so surprised that she looked up into his steadily darkening eyes. He nodded, his breath blowing over her face gently. She held his wrist tauntingly close to her mouth, exposing her teeth as if she was preparing to bite him again. She had no intention of biting him or drinking from him anytime soon, but it was fun to tease him like he was teasing her. The sheer thought of the Alpha Wolf that had once had such a hatred for her kind offering up his own blood for her amusement was laughable.

Jacob's eyes opened slightly wider as he watched her hold his wrist to her lips, her snowy white teeth now exposed. His breath hitched in nervous anticipation. When she couldn't' handle it any longer, she burst into giggles.

"I don't want your silly blood, pup," she snorted, tossing his wrist down. She shoved his arm playfully against him, giving him a flirtatious wink.

Jacob's face fell noticeably. "You…you don't like it?"

She stopped giggling abruptly, her mouth falling open slightly.

She pressed her lips together, remembering how she had tasted his blood again for the first time in such a long time the other morning.

"I liked it…is that such a crime?" she admitted in a low voice.

"Of course not, Ness," he said. "How many times do I have to tell you that…I…i-would do anything to make you happy. Anything. That…that wasn't a big deal. At all."

She frowned, looking back down at her feet against the pale wood of the deck. "What's wrong?" he asked against, squeezing her against him. He pressed his lips against the top of her hair, and the area burned deliciously against his mouth.

"You…you tasted good," she mumbled slowly. Her cheeks lit up with a fiery blush, and she didn't know what else to say. Jacob looked at her, astounded.

"I do?"

She nodded, trying to untangle herself from his grasp. He held tight, obviously enchanted with this discovery.

"All these years, those vamps said I smelled disgusting and I was this vile, awful mutt…and now…now you say…I really tasted good?" he asked.

She nodded again, her cheeks still burning. The feel of his tan skin against hers was amazing, and she was quickly losing control with herself. He had spent the entire day in his khaki colored cargo shorts and nothing else. "Can we just go inside?"

"Yeah," he said, immediately dropping his arms to his sides. She turned slowly to walk back toward the house, but jumped when she was suddenly tossed into the air and over Jacob's hot shoulder. He gripped her behind the knees, and she let a surprised squeal erupt from her lips as he dashed up to the house. Racing inside, he twirled her around a few times before setting her down in the big, white kitchen. She laughed, smacking him on the chest. Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes at him.

"Were you dizzy?" he asked excitedly, his eyes lit up.

"Vampires don't get dizzy, stupid," she quipped, turning around. Opening up the refrigerator, she sighed. "What to drink?"

Jacob snorted, hopping up on the counter to wait as she scoured the house. "Maybe I'll make a smoothie," she finished. "Want one?"

"Sure, yeah," he answered, glancing out the window. "The storm cleared up, it's a pretty sunset."

"Uh huh," she muttered, digging in one of the cabinets. "I know I saw a blender I here once…"

She suddenly gasped as she opened the middle cabinet. "What?" he asked, jumping off the counter to walk over to her. She laughed and pulled out a bottle of spiced rum.

"I forgot about the rum," she said, putting the bottle back. Jacob's hand flashed out and stopped her.

"Wait," he said. "Do you want me to make you something?" he asked excitedly.

She looked at him, then back down at the bottle. "With that?"

He nodded. "Just one. And if you tell your father…"

"I don't tell him anything," she said, defending herself. Jacob nodded and took the rum, along with a few other bottles, out of the cabinet. Together they picked out the right juice and a few pieces of fruit, setting them all on the counter.

Renesmee turned to grab the ice out of the freezer, grasping it in her hands. "Got the ice," she said, holding it up. He laughed and held out the pitcher for her to put it in. She busied herself with chopping up some pineapple and oranges to garnish their cocktails. Suddenly, she yelped when a handful of ice was shoved down the back of her dress.

Jacob's loud laugh echoed in the kitchen, and she screamed and laughed all at the same time.

"Jake!" she squealed, dislodging the ice from her long dress. Jacob blatantly watch her feel her own body in an attempt to find the bits of ice that were confined in her dress still. He winced as she playfully chucked an ice cube at him, giggling.

"I couldn't help myself," he laughed, holding up his hands in defeat. She growled, her brown eyes narrowing at him.

"Oh, are you trying to be scary?"

She growled again, louder this time. She knew her growl was far from intimidating, but she still tried all the same. He growled back at her, but it ended up being a laugh as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Some Alpha…always giggling like a little girl," she mused, rolling her eyes.

"Hey!" Jake laughed, crunching on an ice cube in his mouth. She growled again, then gave him a flirtatious smile.

"You're really sexy when you growl," he said suddenly, his voice low.

She stopped growling and looked at him. Shaking her head, she felt herself blush again as she picked up the ice from the counter where they had thrown it. Palming it in her hand, she enjoyed the feeling of the ice as it melted against her skin.

Hold up her hand, she laughed. "You know it's hot here, cuz even I can melt ice," she muttered. In normal temperatures, she could hold snow and ice longer than a human could without melting it. However, the heat on the island made the frozen water quickly melt.

"So can I," he laughed, holding an ice cube in his hand. He squeezed it, two seconds later he opened his hand to reveal a palm full of water. He flicked it in her face with a laugh, and she giggled and snapped her teeth at him jokingly. Picking up another ice cube, she held it in her hand and moved closer to him, her face more serious.

Jacob watched her as he leaned against the counter lazily. She moved to stand right up against him, her thin dress pressed up against his hot body. He watched her silently, the humor gone from his face suddenly. Glancing up at him, she gave him a tiny, shy smile as she pressed the ice cube to the center of his chest, just below his collar bone. The ice cracked as it rapidly melted against his blazing skin.

He watched her carefully as she did it again with another ice cube. Closing his eyes, a low rumble sounded in his chest.

"I didn't know dogs could purr," she said softly, a hint of mischief in her tone. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.

"Feels good," he mumbled, sighing. His breath washed over slowly, and she inhaled it. He smelled good. He always smelled so, so _good_.

Feeling brave, she lifted up her palm and placed it flat against his pectoral muscle as she picked up another ice cube. Closing his eyes, he realized that she was opening a connection between them to show him something. He watched as she sent him images of the water running down his chest, down through his abs…and down…

He flinched a little as his body began to react to her; he didn't want to ruin this. She then stopped the images, and replaced them with feelings and emotions.

_Heat…lust…_watching the ice melt was…_erotic. Sexy. Hot. _

He smiled, opening his eyes as her connected closed, her palm leaving his chest.

"Sorry," she said, laughing quietly. He shook his head.

"S'ok Ness…" he trailed off, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Can I kiss you?"

Frowning, she gave him a confused look. "Why do you think you have to ask?"

"Cuz it's weird to kiss you," he blurted out. He made a face that showed he regretted saying that right away. "I mean-"

"Wait, it's weird to kiss me?" she asked indignantly.

"No! No…it's just..uh…"

"So it's weird for you to kiss me. Super," she snapped, darting away from him. In a millisecond she was on the other side of the counter, her arms crossed over her chest.

"That's not what I said," he said quickly, holding up his hands. "I just…I meant that…it's weird to just kiss you now…now that.."

"Now that what?"

Jacob exhaled, obviously frustrated. "Now that it's okay to do it."

She looked at him, her jaw dropping a little. "Really?"

He nodded, his eyes full of earnest. "Yes, Ness. I mean….think about how long I…"

He didn't have to finish that thought. She knew exactly what he meant. All the horrible nights of not knowing how he felt about her, how she felt about him…the pain, the uncertainty…all of it flashed before her eyes. Before he could even continue, she had flashed back across the kitchen and slammed herself against his chest, cocooning herself there. Jacob's arms were around her in an instant, holding her close to him and rocking her back and forth.

"It's just all new Ness. It's new to not have to hide…how much I want you," he finally said. She looked up at him, relishing the feeling of his warm breath blowing across her face.

"I guess…I guess that's why I've been so jumpy, and…and weird while we've been here. I just don't want to mess this up."

"Jake….we've been over this," she whispered, reaching up to stroke his face. He leaned his head against hers, sighing as if he still had a huge weight on his shoulders.

"Tell me," she gently prodded, running her hands down his cheeks. She felt his jaw tighten beneath her fingertips, and she felt awful that he was so tense about all of this. She felt like part of it was her fault.

"It's just that…Now that I don't have to hide it anymore, or chase after it…it's…you're here. You're here and we're together and that's a big deal."

It almost felt like he was opening his heart up for her to see, leaving no secrets behind. She was touched.

"I don't have to feel bad about wanting you this way anymore, and that's a lot to wrap my stupid head around," he sheepishly admitted. "I was such a bad imprint for so long. I wanted to give you time and space to grow, but that was the absolute worst thing I could do. I…I didn't know how you felt about me, and I should have. I should have known, but I was too pig headed to know it," he admitted.

"Jake," she pleaded, "I am not known for my world class decision making skills either…but we're young," she pointed out.

"You're right, but…I should have done all of that better. You needed me when I went away to college, and I see that now. You needed me as a friend and…and I think other ways, too. I wanted to be there, Ness, I did, but… I felt like it was still wrong. I just…your parents trusted me to not tell you and not be with you like that until you were ready, and that was horrible. I felt like I was betraying you and them. As much as I hated their stupid gag order, I respected it, and I respected them. When I kissed you in the woods that night, I felt like I was trampling all over that."

"You shouldn't have. It wasn't up to them to decide.'

"But…still. I'm stubborn, and I hated that I broke my word. Alpha thing, I guess. But…but I just hated that I did that. You were still young and you needed a best friend, no some stupid, horny werewolf to practically jump you in the woods."

"There's not handbook on how to imprint, Jake."

"I know, but…I thought it would be so black and white when the time finally came, but…but it wasn't. It was so much harder than that."

"I know," she said softly. "You don't have to worry about that anymore Jake."

"It's just that, being here…alone…with you…I..wanted…"

"Tell me," she repeated gently, moving her head so that he was making eye contact with her.

"I wanted to make you fall in love with me."

"Jacob…" she said softly, "I already do love you." He paused, unsure of what to say.

"I know you do honey, and I love you…but…but I wanted you to love me…in a different sort of way. Not like how…we have always loved each other. That was more like..friend love. I…I was hoping you would love me like…like forever kind of love."

She nodded, finally understanding what he meant. "I…I do love you like that. I'm just…scared to."

"You are too?" he asked. She nodded tentatively, still lightly squeezing his face in hers.

"A little. This is all very…different and new. I want to…I want to do it right, since we have, uh…awhile," she laughed. He chuckled with her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She hopped up onto the counter, pulling him closer to her so that they were eye level.

"That's exactly how I feel. I feel like…now that we're…uhm…together," he choked out. "That we should do things right. I want to look back in a hundred years and know that we did things the right way. I don't want to look back and think that I should have done something differently. I just…I feel like if I screw this up I'll be writing our history wrong."

She nodded. "It's a big deal when you live forever. You feel like you've got something big to live up to," she said.

He laughed, his throaty chuckle resounding in his chest. "Yeah. I just want to make sure I do this right now that I finally get to do it."

"Really?" she asked happily, giving him a loving gaze. She watched as Jacob's face went from lovey dovey to serious.

"Did you think any less of me?" he asked seriously. Renesmee giggled as his face turned into a grin and he laughed with her.

"But seriously Ness..I'm sorry things have been um…tense. They won't be anymore, I promise. God…I feel like I keep making promises to you and then breaking them. I'm a shitty imprint."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"I wouldn't love you if you were a shitty imprint. Not like this," she said, right before crashing her lips into his. She kissed him softly several times, and then moved so that she was sucking gently on his bottom lip. He made a noise of relief into her mouth as she continued to tease him, slowly letting her tongue slide along his teeth. His own tongue met hers, hungrily tasting her as if he had been starving for weeks.

She giggled as he grabbed her hips, pulling her against him from her perch on the counter. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling them even closer than before. She could feel the heat from his stomach against her thighs, and it made her want more. _But how much more?_ She wasn't sure what to do from here. They had been there, in this position, many times before, but it always stopped before now. She didn't want it to stop.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked slowly, pulling away. His voice was raspy with emotion, and his breaths were quicker than normal.

She brushed a bronze curl out of her eye, panting slightly. "What…how do you know I was thinking about something?" she asked, eying her hands guiltily.

He shook his head. "No, when you think really hard your lips stop moving," he admitted.

She laughed at her own awkward behavior, her nervous giggles echoing against the kitchen cabinets.

"I…I…" she stuttered, trying to put her thoughts into words that wouldn't embarrass her enough to make her want to die.

"Show me," he offered, picking up her hand. His large fingers traced the palm of her hand, running slow circles on her skin. A shudder ripped through her as his fingers moved against hers, and she was suddenly shy.

Slowly, she lifted her palm up to his cheek and showed him flashes. _Each time they did this…their bodies pressed up against each other, their heated breaths, their deep, hungry kisses, the tightening feeling in her abdomen…her would bring her to her peak with his hands, but she wanted him to do it differently…she wanted to feel him inside her. She showed him that she didn't want to stop. _His eyes glazed over as he re-lived these moments with her, only from her perspective. She watched as he shifted uncomfortably, his breathing quickening as his body began to register what she was showing him.

She pulled her hand away suddenly, her expression still shy. He blinked a few times, but was silent as he tried to think of something meaningful to say that would comfort her.

He inhaled deeply, and she suddenly feared his response.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" he asked suddenly. She looked at him, surprised that he had spoken after so much silence

She looked out the window at the calm ocean water and she couldn't help but admit that it did look rather inviting.

"Um, sure," she mumbled, standing up. He followed, and instead of walking back to the bedroom where his things were to change, he turned and went straight towards the glass doors that led to the water. She followed, curious as to what he was up to. He stepped out onto the sand, pulling her with him. The moonlight shone on the blue green water, making it glitter like diamonds.

"Where are you going?" she asked him. He turned to face her, walking backwards across the sand with a smug grin.

"In the water," he said with a smirk, reaching for the button on his ripped khaki shorts. She blushed and looked down at the kitchen floor, then back up at him.

It was almost habit for her to think she was going to be caught looking at him.

By the time she looked back at Jacob, the only thing she could see was a toffee colored blur diving into the ocean.

His pants lay discarded on the beach in a heap, and she felt another blush rising in her cheeks.

_Oh god, he's naked...!_

She bit her lip, debating what to do. There was no way she wanted to swim naked with him, at least not yet. _But if not now, then when? This is your time. Stop being a chicken, Renesmee. Grow the fuck up. _

She smiled to herself as the foul word rang in her head. She even sounded awkward swearing to herself in her own mind. Turning around, she darted in the house and flew to her bedroom to toss open the bulky suitcase Alice had packed for her. Pulling out the object of her search, she took a deep breath and quickly put it on. Glancing in the mirror, she was delighted to notice that the island sun had finally begun to give her skin a slight golden glow. Spying her tiny bag of measly cosmetics on the marble counter, she grabbed it and quickly applied a thin coat of some berry flavored lip balm, just in case.

Trotting back to the beach, she tried to ignore the butterflies that were currently throwing a party in her stomach. _This is right. This is what's meant to be. Just go, Ness. This is Jacob. Your Jacob. _

Tugging at the swimsuit, she was beginning to lose her nerve as her gifted eyes searched for Jake. _My Jake. _

As if he knew he was being thought about, he popped up from the surface, wiping the salt water from his eyes. Then he saw her. His blackening eyes raked down her scantily clad body; the bright, feminine pink of her bikini stood out in the moonlight against the darkness. The ties holding the pieces of it together were thin, not leaving very much to the imagination. On the top of the suit there were a few layers of ruffles, pink fabric that drew attention to her chest. He looked at her, turning his head to the side as his eyes moved up and down the exposed skin.

He stood up in the water, which only came up to just below his hips. Her eyes fell to the spot on his abdominal muscles that formed a perfect 'v' that lead down to…_Oh god. He has the faintest happy trail. I read about that in Alice's Cosmo….I wonder if he know that that particular set of ab muscles has starred in my fantasies like, a zillion times? _

She looked down at the sand, shocked she had let herself actually stare at him that long. Another blush rose in her cheeks and she silently punished herself for gawking at him like that. As if he could sense her fear, he shifted in the water and shook his head.

"Ness," he said softly, his voice rough. "It's okay," he said with a nod. He motioned to her, and her feet suddenly felt like they were cemented into the sand. After another brief pause, she began to walk into the warm water.

She could have darted right up to him in less than a second, but she wanted to take her time with this. Her hands shook slightly as she awkwardly tried to decide where to put them. Suddenly, nothing felt natural as his eyes followed her. They were soft but determined, unblinking.

She stopped about two feet in front of him, suddenly feeling like the epitome of awkward. Unsure of what to do or say as he looked her up and down, she rubbed the fruity gloss on her lips together, trying to concentrate on the taste of that and not Jake and his eyes as they slowly moved over her bright pink swimsuit.

He stepped closer to her, and his scent hit her nose. The intoxicating normal smell of Jacob was mixed with salt water and coconut, further heightening her lust. Biting her lip, she let herself be pulled to him in the dark, clear water.

He held out his arms for her, embracing her tightly as she finally pressed herself up against him. Out of sheer politeness, she tried to control herself and not let her thighs touch the part of him that they were the most curious to touch.

Jacob wound his large hands in her hair, careful as always not to pull too hard as he tilted her head up towards his face. She felt herself begin to relax a little as his warm mouth touched against hers; soft, hesitant, but filled with longing. Her mind raced as she tried to think and keep her mind straight. How could a simple kiss convey so many emotions? She didn't have time to think further about it, for she felt his tongue brush against her bottom lip, giving her pleasant shivers as it always did. Just the taste of Jacob was enough to excite her into doing things she knew she probably shouldn't – but wasn't that why they were there?

This was their time together to be alone as adults for once. As imprints. Granted, she was still a little unsure of what that meant for her still. Even so, she tried to push her worries away for once and try to think of him as just Jacob.

All she was really concerned with thinking about was that she didn't have to think of him as having imprinted on her, or being her soul mate, her boyfriend, future husband, or anything else. Tonight, she wanted him to just be Jacob. The Jacob that, for once, it was okay to do and say what she felt around.

The gentle ocean waves gently lapped at their waists as they stood, embracing in the moonlit water. Renesmee smiled against his mouth as it trailed down her cheeks and to her jaw line. He began to drag slow kisses there, all the way down to her ear. She bit her own lip and let a little sigh escape from her mouth when he gently bit down on her earlobe.

"Are you alright?" he murmured, pulling back to look at her. She nodded, not trusting her voice to crack or do something silly from nervousness in that moment.

"Ness, let's just go back inside. I was just joking about swimming naked; I can put my pants back on. I should, probably…" He trailed off, starting to walk up the incline toward the beach. He had just walked far enough that she could barely see the top of his bottom when she called out.

"No, Jake, stop!" she said quickly, wading over in the warm water. She yanked his arm back, pulling him against her. He looked down at her breasts that were now pressed against his chest, and she cracked a smile.

"I came out here to go swimming," she said, swallowing her fear. "We might as well try it naked," she added in her best attempt to be coy. She reached up with shaking hands and untied the back of her bikini top. It shifted to the side as she untied it behind her neck, exposing her to his sight. She smiled in satisfaction as she saw his mouth drop open just slightly at the sight of her naked breasts. With one toss, the wet top sailed the forty feet back to the beach and landed with ease.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him to see him staring right at her chest.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered slightly. "I…have been…waiting so long to see those that…I just can't…help it," he finally finished. Bringing his hands to rest on her hips. She smiled in satisfaction at the thought of him fantasizing about her and no one else.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more confident she also felt. He had waited for her… he had been fantasizing about her… he _wanted_ her.

She bit her lip as her stomach tightened in pleasure, moving closer to him. He sucked in a breath as her pointed tips brushed against his bare chest, and she could now fully feel just how much he was appreciating her. He hissed in appreciation when she finally couldn't take it anymore and wrapped her arms his neck, letting her body mold to his.

"Oh god," he muttered before kissing her. His hot lips dragged down her cheek, down her jaw line and neck. One hand gently held her backside, pulling her against his body, while the other began to trail down her neck. She smiled as he kissed her there in the water, realizing that his hand shook a little as it traced down the side of her bare breast.

His hand gazed around the area, but never came in direct contact with it. Finally, out of sheer frustration, she grabbed his hand firmly and placed his palm directly over it.

"There," she laughed nervously. "It's done," she added, hoping to break the nervous tone in the air. Jacob closed his eyes, obviously embarrassed that she had made him do it rather than just having the balls do to it himself.

"Erm…thanks," he finally said, wincing a little.

"Jake…" she said pleadingly. "I'm sorry, just…it's okay. Remember? You said it yourself. It's okay."

"I know, it's just….I can't believe I'm finally getting to-"

"-believe it."

With that, she pulled him down closer to her, kissing him deeply. She opened her mouth more, letting her tongue caress his as her kisses got deeper and more aggressive. She was about to explode from all the tension in her body, and she felt all of her nervousness melt away. This was how they were supposed to be – together.

When his warm palm cupped her breast appreciatively, she felt body begin to hum with an imaginary electricity that only he could make her elicit. She felt herself start to make an almost purring noise deep in her chest as his hand explored. He kissed her slowly; she could tell he was distracted but she didn't mind. When he started to explore, she felt herself pushing against him even harder in an effort to get closer and enjoy the wonderful feeling of his skin on hers.

She gasped into his mouth as his hand moved, letting his fingers run over her nipple. It was gentle at first. She felt her skin tighten in anticipation and need. Jacob responded by giving it a soft pinch. Renesmee felt herself steadily coming undone.

Her hands moved down his neck, raising goose bumps in their wake. His skin was warm to her touch, the muggy night air doing nothing to calm her sudden tenacity. Instead, it fueled her need further. His hand on her breast was giving her such desire that she felt brave and almost insane with need.

Down her hands moved, down his collar bone, his pecks, his stomach….

Her fingers appreciatively traced the ridges of his abdominal muscles, each one tensing slightly as her warm fingertips moved down their length. He twitched slightly at the unfamiliar feeling of her hands on him in such a manner, but he didn't want to risk it by acting like he noticed too much. He just wanted her to keep going…

As they kissed, one of her hands rested on his hip while the other continued to move. The tips of her three middle fingers traced down the 'V' shaped muscle on his abdomen, making him react. He groaned in her mouth, letting her know that she was on the right track. Renesmee felt her hand shake slightly as it dipped into the warm saltwater and grazed his manhood. Her hand moved along the blazing hot skin of his shaft, and she felt him shift slightly in the water. Glancing up, she realized that his eyes were closed as she tentatively touched him. His hand on her breast had stilled, and now he had returned to palming it gently as she touched him.

"Oh god," he groaned, his voice catching. One of his hands joined hers in the water, and he encircled her hand and placed it around his stiff cock. She squeezed gently, trying to see through her lusty, clouded trance appreciate the feeling of his skin. He was even hotter there than normal, but the skin was far softer than that of his arms or legs, or even his chest. Touching him like that made her feel very powerful and finally like the vixen she wanted to be.

"Like this?" she asked, glancing down into the water. His hand still encircled hers as they moved together. Up and down his shaft he moved her hand. He sucked in a breath every time she reached the tip. Slowing their movement, she allowed her thumb to brush itself against his tip.

"Ahh," he sighed, his mouth dropping open again.

After a few more strokes, she awkwardly pulled her hand away and continued to study his face. His eyes opened slowly and he let out a ragged breath.

"Was that okay?"

A slightly euphoric look crossed his features and he smiled, his eyes re-closing.

"That was…." he trailed off, at a loss for words. She watched as he exhaled slightly, and her curiosity was piqued. Of course she knew the mechanics for what they were doing, but…..to actually see him aroused and completely uncaring in front of her was something entirely new and different.

_And she liked it. _

Feeling bold, her hand snaked out again slowly and grasped his length firmly in her pale hand. Glancing down into the dark water, she could make out the smooth white skin of her hand against the coppery skin of his manhood.

"Oh fuck," he growled, his fingertips digging into the sides of her stomach. She wanted to try it on her _own._

She began to move her hand up and down in tantalizingly slow strokes, but he gently shoved her hand away after a few seconds.

"What?" she asked before thinking, looking up at him. The lust-ridden, hooded appearance in his eyes answered her question.

"Not the first time. Let's…let's go inside."

She looked back up at him, then back at the house as she realized what he meant. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her gently as he cupped her face in his hands.

"Let's go," he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

Her chest brushed against his, and a flame ignited in her that she knew would soon be quenched. It sizzled inside of her. Turning, he clasped her hand in his and they walked back up to the house. She could feel the nervous yet excited electricity between them as they made their way through the powdery white sand. Curiosity to see him fully unclothed burned at her, but she resisted. It felt strange to be halfway unclothed with him; her bikini bottoms were all that were still adorning her body. Yet, it didn't feel wrong or unnatural as she had feared.

She pulled him against her outside the doors, giving him a deep, longing kiss. She let her tongue slip into his mouth, tasting him again. He groaned in gratitude, his eyes falling closed. Pulling away, she flung the doors open and pulled him inside.

Once they were inside the house, he paused slightly, unsure of how to go about this. "Um…should I carry you?"

She looked up at him, frowning through her ragged breaths. "Why?" she asked.

He looked down at her naked body and licked his lips before he realized it. She blushed, and he winced as his tacky action.

"To uh…you know, be romantic?"

She giggled nervously, shrugging. "Um…how about I solve that problem for you?" she asked, and disappeared in a flash. Hurrying down the hall in a blur, she burst through the door of the blue room and hopped on the bed, waiting for him. That part of the house was completely dark, except for the light of the moon that shone through the glass windows that lined the wall closest to the ocean.

Jacob laughed loudly from the hallway, slowly trotting down the carpeted hallway towards her. Thinking quickly, she flew with vampire speed to the suitcase in the corner and grabbed the first black, lacy, silky item she could find. A stroke of luck allowed her to find the lacy looking panties that matched it, and she pulled those on as quickly as she could. In her hurry to yank the flimsy negligee on, one of the delicate straps snapped, flopping forwards. She tucked it back into the material of the piece, hoping it would stay put.

"Crap," she hissed, standing up. Glancing in the mirror, she surveyed her option with a grimace. It looked like it belonged in a Victoria's Secret catalog, not on her. The broken strap of the sexy negligee hung forward, threatening to slip out and expose her, but she was out of time. It fell forward again, the ripped material looking pathetically silly.

_Does this look like something you lose your virginity to your werewolf boyfriend in?_ She thought to herself. There was no time now; she could hear Jacob's breathing behind the door.

Jacob finally walked in the slightly dark bedroom, his hands placed awkwardly over his manhood.

"Aaare, you alright in here?" He asked in a skeptical voice. She turned around and made a face, motioning to her broken strap.

His jaw fell open, and he forgot to hold his hands up in front of him to keep his modesty. "Holy fucking shit," he practically panted, looking at her with eyes as wide as saucers. She winced, biting her lip.

"Is this not sexy?"

He gave her an exasperated pant, and twitched a little where he stood, as if it was hard not to touch her.

She walked over to the bed, sitting down on top of it. He watched her as she moved, still trying to decide what to do with his hands. She peeked down at him, suddenly aware that she could see his arousal without a barrier for the first time and it was…intimidatingly large. It looked as if his entire body was straining to touch her. She gave him an approving stare as she took him all in. He was glorious, but one problem popped into her mind despite her yearning.

_How is all of that going to fit?_ She wondered. Sighing, she hopped up on the bed, trying to casually arrange herself in a somewhat sexy looking position. Flipping her hair around the front of her body, she tried to maintain her dignity in the torn negligee.

"Well?" she asked in her best sexy voice. Jacob smirked at her across the room, slowly making his way to the bed where she waited.

He crawled into it, moving to settle in beside her. He lay on his side, mirroring her position next to him.

"A-are you sure about this?" he asked. She nodded.

"Absolutely sure. Please Jacob, I…I really want to."

"You're not just trying to get this over with?"

"Of course not!" she huffed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He paused a bit before leaning down to kiss her. These kisses were very different from the ones they had been sharing lately. These were soft, unsure, and nervous kisses.

"Touch me," she whispered, trying to take control. She looked like a woman, and was technically the age of a woman, and she wanted to act like it.

"Bossy, but I like it," he playfully growled, nipping at her lip with his teeth. She growled back suggestively, grateful for his playful banter.

His kisses were deliberate and full of emotion, but they were both so nervous it was hard to enjoy. He shakily palmed one of her breasts, and she tried to keep her heart rate down as she reached down and touched him again. He sucked in a breath as her hand moved along his length, and he tried as hard as he could not to let his anxious feelings show. Being with Renesmee was something he had dreamt about so many times; now that the time was finally there, it was scary and almost daunting.

As he kissed her, the weight of his decision to finally give himself over to her fully weighed on his shoulders. There was a very definite chance that he wouldn't be completely in control of his body that night, as much as he wanted to be. The wild part of him that had longed for his mate for so long was growing impatient to the point of self-combustion. However, his human side wanted to overpower it and go slowly with her tonight, taking all the time that he would need to make this a pleasurable experience for her. Jacob knew that her memory was infallible, and if she had one bad memory about tonight he feared it would haunt him forever. If she remembered him as anything besides gentle and loving he wouldn't be able to stand it. He wanted her to remember tonight for the rest of their lives – forever – as the most perfect night ever. It should stand as a permanent symbol of their love together, and the way they felt. However…he found himself merely hoping to get through the act without hurting her or humiliating himself.

He moved to hover over her, pressing himself against the silk material of the lacy underwear she was now donning. As his chest pressed against her breasts covered in the silky material they both let out a hiss of satisfaction. He melted against her, reveling in the feeling of being like this with her. Bringing his head down, he kissed her already slightly swollen lips. A shudder of ecstasy rolled through him as he pressed himself against her center with a little more force. The action was a warning of sorts. He wanted to convey to her in the most basic of ways how much he needed her. It was a way of saying, '_no turning back now'_. Renesmee's answer was to hook one of her legs around his, pulling more of his weight on top of her. Jacob's body began to ache. Any thought of going slow or having control quickly flew out the door as their bodies took up a rhythm against each other that was satiating.

He wanted her.

She paused their kisses, pulling back to look at him. Their nervousness practically permeated the air, and she was determined to fix it. Biting her lip coyly, she looked up at him.

"Do you like my nightgown?" she asked in her best bedroom voice, pulling up her knee to pose sexily for him, but her knee came in contact with something else in the process.

"Ah!" Jacob grunted, grabbing himself and falling over sideways onto the bed. He clutched his naked manhood, wincing and panting heavily. He hadn't had a crack to the testicles like that in years. It didn't help that Renesmee's leg was practically half made of marble.

"Oh my god," she gasped, sitting up. Her hands covered her mouth in shock and disgust for what she had done.

"Jacob! Jacob, are you alright?" she gasped, leaning down to him. He groaned from his position face down in the bedspread, his breaths raspy and shaken.

"Ulgh," he groaned, trying to compose himself. She felt the hot tears of humiliation start to form in her eyes, and she desperately tried to blink them back. Could anything more mortifying possibly happen?

"Jake…"

"It's okay, it's okay...I just…ulgh," he groaned, sitting up. His eyes met hers and he gave her the most pained smile she had ever witnessed.

"I am so sorry!" she moaned, covering her eyes with her hand. At that moment, the nightgown's broken strap fell forward even more, causing one of her breasts to fall out of it.

"Oh crap!" she gasped, pulling it up again. Jacob looked at her through his wince, a slight smile breaking out on his face. Her cheeks burned with mortification.

"No, that's sexy…" he said, his face slowly returning back to normal. He practically had to cough out the words as he cupped himself, trying to recover gracefully. Renesmee bit back tears of embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Ness, Ness…just…it's okay," he said, lying sideways on the bed. He removed his hand from his groin and tried his best to relax. He could tell he was already freaking her out and he didn't want to mess this night up any more.

"I'm fine, babe," he said, reaching over to stroke her cheek. She nodded, eager to put her embarrassment behind her.

They were both silent for a moment, neither one knowing what to say or do. His mind screamed at him to make a move or do something, but his nervousness for what was about to finally happen was about to overtake him. The only sound in the room was his still slightly-pained breaths.

"Why don't we just kiss for a little while? Is that okay?" he asked, running his hand down her arm. She nodded, arranging herself closer to him so that they were on their sides on the bed, facing each other. He leaned forward, putting a hand behind her neck and kissing her softly, letting her get used to him again. He just wanted her to relax, or this was going to be even more difficult than he had originally planned.

Running his hand down her side, he let himself feel her soft yet hard skin under the silky nightgown. Her skin was a marvelous thing really; to the touch it was smooth and soft as satin, yet when he pressed down on it, it was obvious that it wasn't human skin. However, she was nowhere near like a vampire would be. It was just so uniquely…hers.

He moved on top of her, re-assuming their previous position. He pressed his still throbbing manhood against her, hoping to soothe the pain of her knee with something else. As soon as he pressed himself back against her center and lowered his lips to hers, he instantly felt better. The throbbing subsided, but was soon replaced by a different kind of pleasant pain. _Need._

When Renesmee began to writhe and moan beneath him, he struggled to maintain his control. Part of him wanted to plunge himself into her, consummating what he had been dreaming of for years. The other part of him wanted to pursue her desire and enjoyment further, bringing her to the brink of satisfaction. He realized that she would have some pain at first when the act would actually come, and he wanted to do what he could to make sure she at least enjoyed herself first.

While propping himself up on one arm, his other hand tentatively palmed one of her breasts though the flimsy fabric of the negligee. When he felt a soft growl rumble through her small chest, he took that as a good sign. He pulled on the already broken strap, exposing her to him. His hand stroked and teased her, even though it trembled slightly with nervousness. To his delight, he watched her remove her arm from the other strap and pull the nightgown down further around her stomach.

_Yes,_ he thought.

He continued to kiss down the side of her face, nipping the skin under her ear as he thrust against her. Renesmee moaned and gasped a little, making her satisfaction known. Dragging his lips down, he paused as he lowered his eyes to take in her bare chest. Blessing his superior eyesight, he felt himself twitch slightly at the sight of his imprint beneath him, exposed for him and only him. Her creamy skin seemed to glow in the darkness, enticing and inviting him. The torn nightgown had been pulled down to rest on her stomach, halfway on and halfway off. The sight made him awestruck.

Unable to resist her pearly colored breasts any longer, he lowered his mouth. The gasp that escaped her mouth as he circled her with his tongue made him nearly come undone.

"Oh, Jake," she gasped, weaving her hands in his hair. One of her hands slid down to rest on his cheek as he teased her with his mouth. Pictures of her erotic fulfillment she was feeling swirled in his mind. She was enjoying herself, but he could see that she thought of all of this as merely a prelude to the intense feelings that were to come with actual sex.

She showed him a very deliberate picture as he switched sides, taking her other peak in his mouth. Renesmee wanted to do the same thing, minus the tattered nightgown and lacy underwear. She didn't want him moving against her outsides; she wanted him in her. His imprint wanted to feel him inside of her, filling her completely. He watched as she imagined what it would be like to finally be joined, moving together in perfect sync, both of them making the noises of sheer joy that she had accidentally heard from her family members for years…she longed to feel that way. _Filled. Complete. Satisfied_.

He continued to move against the flimsy material of the nightgown, all the while slowly increasing the power and force behind his movements. Suddenly, he felt himself tighten in the pit of his stomach. The friction and need was becoming overwhelming as the promise of release swirled in the pit of his stomach. His manhood throbbed pleasurably, but it was too soon. He was teetering at the edge, his need for release threatening to throw him over.

_No! Shit, she feels so good…oh god…oh god…_

Control left his mind completely as he felt himself hit the brink. Between the feel and taste of her creamy colored skin, the pictures in her mind, his insatiable need for her…it was all too much. He winced through his labored breaths as he felt himself release. Jacob's body tensed as he came, his release covering the front of her nightgown. His orgasm was short and shame-filled as he realized what he had just done.

His cheeks flamed red as he opened his eyes to see Renesmee beneath him, completely still and wide-eyed. She glanced down quickly, realization hitting her.

_Oh shit. I just came early…oh my god I'm never going to live this down…_

He froze on top of her, still propped up on his elbows. Renesmee let out the breath she had been holding, making his eyes snap up to meet hers.

"I…I'm…s-sorry," he stuttered, wincing. She nodded, the blood filling her own cheeks with a scarlet colored blush.

"It's…okay," she stuttered back, shifting slightly. His warm release was still on her stomach, and she wasn't sure how to proceed without further damaging his pride.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, glancing down again. She was more curious than repulsed at the creamy white liquid that now covered her stomach and the other half of her nightgown. Jacob shifted, sitting up on his knees to survey what he had done with a grimace. What else could possibly go wrong? He had done what every man had privately feared he would do. He felt like he was seventeen and having dirty wet dreams in his bed back in La Push. At that moment, he felt about as far away from a powerful Alpha leader as he could get. His pride was absolutely shattered.

Renesmee set her jaw, determined to return to the mood to how it had been just moments before. Her abdomen tightened with lust. She didn't want to stop anything yet.

Reaching up, she touched his jaw_. It's okay._

Jacob smiled wryly, feeling the heat leaving his cheeks. Renesmee didn't seem that upset, and he felt bad for ruining this moment for her. He lifted himself up, reaching for anything he could to clean them up with. In the back of his mind, he registered that she was moving around as well, but he was too consumed with getting rid of the evidence of his embarrassing mess more than anything. When he was satisfied that the mess was gone, he turned his attention back to her.

Renesmee was on her side, her head propped up on her elbow. The torn negligee had been discarded somewhere, and she had cleaned herself up and was waiting – naked.

_Oh sweet Jesus_, he thought to himself. Yearning burned through him at the sight of his imprint, unclothed and waiting for him, was burned into his memory. Renesmee's coppery curls hung down in front of her, almost covering her bare chest. His eyes dipped down as he sat there, propped up on his side to look at her. _All _of her.

Her pale skin glowed in the dim light, allowing him to see in complete detail what he had been pining after for so long. Her body was toned and slender, but she had shapely hips – something he hadn't really noticed before when she had clothes on. Her breasts were round and full, and practically begging for his attention. Her nipples were hardened and protruding slightly despite the warm air in the room.

_Oh my god, Nessie turned on. She's in a bed, naked with me, and..and… she's turned on…._ He thought.

It was difficult to keep from practically panting as he watched her brush her hair away from her chest, her fingertips suggestively dancing on her shoulder as she did so.

"Oh god, you're perfect," he muttered.

"You think so?" she asked in an approving whisper.

He nodded, swallowing. The blood in his body all rushed downwards so quickly that he felt his head spin, hardening another part of him. His arousal stood up with pride, albeit wounded only slightly from his earlier mortification.

"I want to do this," she said firmly, letting her hand reach over to touch his chest reassuringly. He closed his eyes as he laid there, reveling in the feeling of her fingertips as they grazed down his body. It was as if she was taking the time to tantalizingly memorize every detail of his chest, abs, pelvis, and…oh.

Her fingers ran the length of him before gripping his dick confidently in her grasp. _Where on earth did she learn that?_ He thought briefly before sucking in a breath. The feeling of her hand moving up and down on him was almost too much to bear. He didn't want a repeat of last time.

"No, wait," he panted, grabbing her wrist. He made her hand still, stopping her movements.

"What is it?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?" Her hand moved back towards her chest, her bottom lip seeking refuge between her teeth.

"No, no, honey," he said, placing his hand on the comforter. He fisted it firmly, letting out some of his tension. "I…should stop and get some protection," he mumbled, feeling the heat return to his cheeks. He felt stupid for stopping her now, but he didn't want the same fiasco to happen to them that had happened to Edward and Bella on _their _trip to Isle Esme.

"Oh," she said_. "Oh,"_ she repeated, realizing what he meant. Another brief flash of recognition flashed in her eyes as she realized what he meant_. This is really happening. _

He got up off the bed, unsure if he should be embarrassed to let her see him fully naked and at full attention or not. He glanced over his shoulder at her as he dug through his bag that was in the corner of the room. He suddenly felt like he was fourteen years old and fumbling for a condom like he was in a bad teen movie. Seth had insisted that he bring some protection with him on his trip, claiming that he didn't want Jake to be unprepared. He silently thanked Seth as he glanced over her shoulder for a second time to see Renesmee on the blue comforter, still propped on her side.

Once he was back on the bed, he held the foil package awkwardly in his grasp. They both stared at it for a second, unsure of what to do. _Did he just put it on and go for it? Or would she want to kiss some more? I never thought this moment would actually come, and when I thought about it I sure as hell never pictured this part, _he thought.

Renesmee stared back at him, appearing to have the same thoughts. Her brown eyes were wide, even in the darkness of the bedroom. Moonlight shone through the windows, giving them some light, and he knew she could see just fine. He glanced down her naked body one more time, feeling lust start to coil in his stomach again.

"Uh…"

Renesmee bit her lip, thinking of something to do or say to lessen this awkward moment.

"Will you…t-touch me?" she stuttered, looking up at him. He nodded, understanding what she meant.

He leaned down, letting his lips meet with hers as his hand slid down her stomach and abdomen, and finally down to the heat between her legs. He let his fingertips slowly slide down her center, feeling the warmth and moisture that was emanating from her. It didn't take anything to know that she was more than ready for him, but he still was determined to take his time and make this good for her.

When he inserted a finger into her waiting entrance, he nearly lost it. He bit down on his lip so hard that he could taste the blood on the tip of his tongue. He barely noticed.

Renesmee sighed, using one hand to grip the sheets, and the other to encircle his bicep. Her hips moved up off the bed as he began to move his hand in a slow rhythm. She turned her head to the side, digging her cheek into the comforter below them as he moved in and out of her. Her silky feminine walls clenched around him, and he soon added another finger.

"Ah, Jake," she gasped, wincing. He slowed, looking down at her. Had that been a bad gasp?

"It's okay, it's okay, just don't stop!" she mumbled quickly, shoving her hips against his hand again. The force she moved against his fingers made him shudder. He was suddenly very glad that his mate was half-vampire and quite durable. He could only imagine the things they could do together since she was so un-breakable…

"You're so hot," he slipped, chuckling slightly. She opened her eyes slightly to look up at him, her gaze heavy and hooded. He felt her clench around his fingers as she smirked up at him, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

He moved on top of her in one quick motion, his control wavering. "You're going to kill me," he growled, running his nose down her cheek. She moved her hips again, brushing her heat against his stiff cock.

"Then maybe we should do something to ease your pain," she suggested. He looked down at her, surprised by the sultry-ness of her voice.

"A-are you sure?" He asked, pulling his head up slightly to look at her.

"Jake, it's okay. You won't hurt me," she said, scooting closer to him on the bed. Leaning forward, she kissed him sweetly on the cheek, letting her lips slowly move across them until she found his lips. He kissed her back, although he was distracted. Her hand wound itself around his hip as she moved even closer. Her leg hitched around his waist, pulling her center so that it was rubbing against him. Lowering himself down, he groaned as he felt her body, completely naked and free of all clothing against his. That was the first thing that made his iron-control start to slip.

"You feel amazing," he groaned, letting his head fall to her shoulder. If the outside of her femininity felt this good, what would the inside feel like?

"Please, Jake…" she whimpered, pulling him even _closer._

"You sound so sure. I wish I was that sure of myself," he mumbled, raising his chin to give her better access. She peppered kisses down his neck, scraping her teeth against his skin lightly and giving him chills. He gripped the foil condom package in his fingertips.

"Ah," he hissed as he brushed himself against her heat. She moaned lightly, turning her head to the side. He sucked on the skin that was exposed to him, reveling in the sweet taste of her. He couldn't wait any longer. Ripping the package open, he balanced on one arm as he haphazardly rolled the condom onto himself. Renesmee looked away, suddenly feeling unsure.

"Do you love me?"

Jacob's slightly shaking voice broke the sudden silence. Her eyes moved to stare into his.

"Yes."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

The sure tone of her voice gave him the approval he needed. He reached down, feeling her readiness for him. She parted her legs slightly, taking a deep breath. Before he knew it, he was sliding himself into her slower than he would have ever thought possible.

The heat was _maddening._

He tried to pay attention to her gasps and moans as he pushed into her, but the wild part of him that had been begging for him to give in was finally rejoicing. He was halfway sheathed in her, and it was absolute heaven to feel at last.

"You feel…amazing," he grunted, sinking deeper into her as he pressed his forehead against hers. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw that hers were shut tightly, her head tilted to the side. He kissed her neck, realizing that a thin layer of sweat had begun to form on both of their bodies. The humidity of the hot room only fueled the need for his imprint.

He sunk himself further inside of her, grasping the sheets behind her head as he fought to remain in control. Every nerve ending in his body was singing with relief as he finally let himself feel her around him. The wolf inside of him was nipping at his patience, begging him to finally plunge into her and please both him and his mate. But he couldn't…yet. He reached her barrier and opened his eyes. He knew this would hurt her, and he didn't want to do it without warning her.

"Ness," he groaned, kissing the spot under her ear. He licked her earlobe, eliciting a shiver from her as he raised his head. Her eyes were still squeezed shut. He kissed up the side of her face, his tongue darting out to taste her cheek. Something salty and warm hit his tongue, making him open his eyes further.

"Ness?" He asked, lifting himself up. She whimpered in answer, finally opening her eyes. He realized with one brief glance that what he had tasted had been a tear. Opening her eyes up more, he felt his heart throb painfully as he realized that her huge brown eyes were actually full of tears. The salty liquid pooled in her warm brown orbs, tugging at him.

"Are you crying?" He gasped, lifting himself up further. She shook her head no, but in the process another tear rolled out of her other eye, spilling onto her coppery curls as she lay beneath him.

"Nessie…"

"No, Jake, I wanted this. I want you…I want you…" she begged, gripping his forearms as he held himself above her.

"I'm…I'm hurting you," he groaned in defeat, his breathing increasing.

"No, it's fine, just…just don't stop now, I…I can't…"

She bit her lip and painstakingly moved her hips again, attempting to move him deeper inside of her. The movement registered in the deep, dark corner of his sex-starved mind. It triggered something that couldn't be undone. Jacob lost it.

"Ah," he gasped. Her warm center clenched around the part of him that was inserted in her, and he felt all control slip out of his carefully wound grasp. He pushed forward without warning, giving in. He needed to be inside of her completely; that was the only somewhat coherent thought in his mind at the moment.

He felt something rip inside of her, but he soon forgot all about it as he was completely sheathed in her heat. Content and primal need flashed inside of his mind like a white-hot flame, licking at his insides. He thrust slowly but firmly out of instinct, wanting to bury himself in her again. When he reached the hilt, he glanced down to see his imprint's face completely twisted in agony. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her lip was practically cemented between her teeth, holding in her anguish and pain.

Jacob stopped, feeling any euphoria slip away from him. When he stilled, her eyes flew open and a quiet sob escaped her lips.

"Nessie?" He gasped, taking her cheek in his hand. He lifted it up, realizing that it was soaked with her tears. Another cry broke the silence in the room, and he felt his heart begin to break.

He had done what he had feared most. He hurt Renesmee_._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

*hides*

Okay….it's not as bad as it seems. I've had this planned for a while, and I have my reasons for writing this particular scene this way. So…bear with me, okay?

Sorry this took me a little longer to get up, but I worked all week to make it perfect and just the way I'd pictured it in my mind. So what did you think? My goal was to make this pretty 'real' for them. Is first time sex ever really that great? I've talked to a lot of you on Twitter about this scene, and you all agreed with me that it would be a different twist to make it less than enjoyable for them the first time. Plus, it's Jake and Nessie and let's face it – everything they do is less than perfect ; ) I didn't think it would be fitting to throw them into bed together and turn them into complete porn stars. What are your thoughts? Realistic? I love reading a lemon, but first time lemons that are hot and wild and completely passionate are a little unrealistic to me. What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions on this.


	48. Lost in Each Other

His worst nightmare had come true. He had hurt Renesmee.

As he looked down at her tear-soaked face, all of the previous feelings of bliss and utopia felt like they were being mercilessly sucked from his body. Concentrating, a feeling of sickening pain and grief shot through his chest, nearly making him suffocate. It twisted in his spine, threatening to shut off all of his senses, except the ones tied to her.

He could feel her pain.

"O-oh my god," he gasped, feeling himself suddenly grow limp inside of her. Renesmee bit her lip, squeezing her eyes closed as he moved on top of her. When he realized what had happened, he slowly withdrew from her body. He felt cold and dejected, but right now that didn't matter.

He had hurt her – really _hurt _her. And there was nothing he could do to pacify her in that moment. That was the part that truly ripped at him.

"No, no, don't st-stop," she whimpered, holding him against her. He shook his head vehemently, determined to disobey his imprint in that moment. He needed to put her needs above his and do what was best for her.

"Jake," she whined, gripping his arms as he rolled off of her. He lay on his back for a moment, staring up at the ceiling of the blue room. How could he have been so foolish? He had hurt her and made her cry on what was undoubtedly one of the most important nights of their lives. Their existence.

It should have been a romantic night full of making love and whispering their endless affection for each other. It should have been a night of endless pleasure and exploration, each one of them finding out what the other needed to reach bliss. He should have held her in his arms until the sun came up, cuddling together and basking in a post-orgasmic glow that only two lovers could share.

Instead, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as panic and grief began to make him shake with regret. He propped himself up, watching in sheer misery as Renesmee wiped her tears and visibly concentrated on calming herself down. Her body shook with one last sob as she tried to rein herself in. He leaned over her, his body halfway on top of hers. Using his thumb, he wiped her last tear off her cheek.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said.

"Jake, I…I'm okay. I w-want to go on."

He grimaced, glancing down at his soft manhood. It looked completely pitiful, and his cheeks flamed with embarrassment.

"I uhm…I don't think that will be possible."

Recognition flashed in Renesmee's eyes as she sat up slightly on her elbow, glancing down at his privates. "But why? Don't I…turn you on?"

He reached up, shakily brushing a coppery ringlet over her creamy shoulder. "Of course you do…it's just that when I saw you crying…I got upset and...and any….need I felt just….went away. I'm sorry Nessie…this is so humiliating…" He covered his face with his hand, shaking his head. Some Alpha male he was. He couldn't even get it up again to try making love to his imprint one more time. His pride was completely wounded.

She sniffed, flopping back down on the bed. He winced as he realized how much pain she must be in – he could feel a dull ache in his chest. It was times like this that he wasn't so crazy about the idea of being so emotionally tied to another person.

_You deserve it, jackass. You knew you would hurt her, and you did it anyway,_ his mind chided him.

"I want to throw myself off a cliff right now," he muttered, holding his throbbing head in his hand. Renesmee looked over at him, her expression mournful.

"I…I don't even know what to say," she admitted. "I…I didn't expect it to…"

He swallowed. Because he did expect it.

"Do you see now why…why that was so hard for me?" he asked tentatively, reaching his hand over. He wanted to touch her so badly right now that it physically hurt. He traced his hand down her arm, then her side. Goose bumps rose on her pale skin, making him even sadder. How had he managed to mess something so beautiful up with such a perfect woman?

_Because you're an idiot._

Renesmee looked over at him, sensing his disappointment.

"Just….just don't go tonight," she whispered, reaching over to grasp his hand in hers. Raising it to her lips, she kissed it sweetly before cuddling it against her chest. He smiled, leaning over to kiss her chastely on the lips. She looked disappointed as he leaned back; it was obvious she still was clinging to the hope of things going further.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he admitted, his voice raspy and thick with emotion. She sighed in relief, moving to lie closer to him. She burrowed her face in his neck, curling up under his arm as he lay on his back. He felt a small feeling of satisfaction as he realized he would at least be able to hold her for the night while she slept. It felt like the least he could do.

It didn't take her long to fall asleep after that. He guessed she was out in a mere few minutes. Her heart continued to beat rapidly in her chest, which was still pressed against his bare side. Even in light of the disaster that was their first time attempting at being intimate, her skin still sizzled pleasantly against his.

Reaching over, he stroked her hair as he gazed out the glass doors at the end of the room. The moon illuminated the blue tides, giving them an unearthly glow as they rolled endlessly up the beach. Sleep would be hard to find tonight. Even though Renesmee was the one with a steel trap of a mind, he knew that he would not soon forget their first night together as a couple. He could only hope that they would have plenty of time to make up for it now that everything in their lives appeared to be settled; all enemies were accounted for, and there was no trouble on the horizon. He began to count how many tides reached the white, sandy shore as he lay there.

In a thousand years, the waves will still be doing the same thing…rolling up the beach, just as they have for a thousand years. And I'll still be here…with this woman, he thought, kissing her forehead.

The idea of forever was daunting. When he thought about how much had changed in the world since Carlisle's re-birth as a vampire, it was astounding. What would happen in his lifetime? It was a slightly unsettling thought.

Renesmee stirred slightly against him, placing her hand on his chest. He continued to watch the blue tides roll towards him. The blue served as a type of projector screen on which he could watch her dream. Her dreams were full of Edward and Bella, and of course him. Her other family members made appearances, as well as Stefan, much to his chagrin. However…watching her dream about him made him feel slightly better. Jacob could see how she thought of him…and it wasn't how he feared. She loved him deeply, that he could see. Yet, the tone and color of her dreams was nowhere near what it was when he saw his own face appear.

Sighing, he tried not to jostle her too much as he settled into the soft bed further. Forever was a long time, but he would do it for her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Despite his joy at waking up next to Renesmee, that same joy was soon squandered when he realized that last night hadn't been a bad dream as he had feared. It was very real and had definitely taken place, even though the events were rather nightmarish.

As he opened his eyes, he wished more than anything that he could take the events back, as horrible as it sounded. He would have done something – anything – to make last night better for her.

He heard a sigh from his chest, and warm breath of air blowing across his pecks. His body tensed slightly when he remembered that he wasn't alone.

Renesmee.

The word swirled in his head agreeably, despite the events that had transpired. Even though it had been painful for her and humiliating for him, he realized that the two of them were definitely not virgins anymore. That thought alone made his head spin slightly.

She stirred slightly, another breath blowing across his skin. Glancing down, he watched the goose bumps form on his chest where her breath touched. Reaching up, he ran a hand across her forehead, brushing a coppery lock of hair off her face. She stretched against him, weaving her leg tighter with his. Her naked body was pressed against his, even despite the heat. She had clung to him all night, even when beads of sweat had begun to form on her brow.

After a few minutes, she lifted her head, letting her chin rest on his chest. Blinking sleepily, she yawned and sniffed several times.

"Good morning," he replied softly, stroking her hair again. She blinked again, opening her brown eyes wider.

"Last night happened, didn't it?" she asked slowly, her voice scratchy with morning.

He nodded against the white pillowcase, watching her through his eyes that were half closed. She pressed her lips together, her brown eyes dropping to his coppery skin.

"Are you angry?"

He chuckled, his own voice raspy. "No, why would I be?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. The bright light of the sunny, tropical morning was slightly intrusive, but still inviting.

"I don't know. Because….because of last night."

"I'm not angry with you…I'm angry with myself. I did the one thing I didn't want to do…I lost control and…hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me, Jake."

"Do you cry like that out of ecstasy?" he countered back, looking down at her. She dropped her eyes, laying her head back down on his chest.

"It was my first time; of course it's going to hurt."

"It wasn't supposed to hurt that much," Jacob grumbled. He shifted, moving so that he could stand. She sat up, pulling the white sheet around herself. Glancing over his shoulder as he walked to his suitcase in the corner of the room, he was relieved to see that Renesmee had averted her eyes and was staring at the white bed. He was suddenly nervous to be like this around her.

Renesmee was fighting a broken heart. She had had such high hopes for her first night with Jacob, and she felt like she had ruined any hope of ever being like that with him again. Of course they would try again, but at what cost? What would she have to do next time to get him to try to make love to her again?

Dropping the sheet from around her middle, she let her bare chest be exposed to Jacob, who was pulling on a pair of shorts. Her hair fell down in front of her breasts, but she was sure that he would at least notice.

He glanced up, freezing for a second as she moved to the edge of the bed to stand. She watched as his features went a little slack, as if he had lost all control of them.

Satisfaction hummed in her stomach as she watched him appreciate her naked form for a few seconds. Then, it was as if he had been slapped in the face. He regained control and fastened his pants.

"Do you want some breakfast? I'm starving."

"I'll bet," she said, attempting a lame joke. His face was serious for a second, but softened when he realized what she was doing.

Striding proudly, she ignored the nervous butterflies in her stomach as she made her way across the room to her suitcase stark naked. She bent slightly to dig through her suitcase, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through her center. She was sore, but not terribly so – just enough to notice. Jacob was at her side in an instant.

"You're hurt. I knew it. I…god, I fucking hurt you, Ness!"

Renesmee pushed his hand away, pulling on her simple black tube dress. She fished out a clean pair of underwear and pulled them on as well, Jacob turning away to give her some privacy.

"I'm fine," she snapped, brushing past him with vampire speed. She was in the kitchen and making breakfast before he even left the bedroom. He walked into the kitchen, pulling a tight, cotton V-neck shirt over his muscled stomach.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked coldly, opening the refrigerator. Jacob flopped down on one of the stools, his own face drawn and hard as he watched her slam the door shut without finding anything.

"The milk went bad…the cleaning crew will probably bring us more," she said shortly, turning to the cabinets. Jacob sighed, watching his obviously frustrated imprint.

"What do you want instead?"

"I don't care," he mumbled, standing up. He stood at the kitchen sink, gazing out at the tropical flower garden. Renesmee watched him stand there, his profile so beautiful that it made her hurt. She wanted him to give himself over to her so badly….and she couldn't help but feel like she had ruined every hope of that last night.

"Do you want eggs?"

"Eggs are fine."

"Omelets?"

"Sure, whatever's fine," he mumbled again, still staring out the window.

She bit her trembling lip between her teeth. It felt like her world was crumbling out from underneath her. The morning after their first night together should be spent loving each other, basking in the glow of the experience they had just shared. They should be closer than ever; instead, their morning was full of nothing but awkwardness and regret. Remorse hung in the humid air like a dark cloud, threatening to downpour. She watched him stare out the window, completely shut off emotionally, void of all feelings. How could someone she loved so much make her hurt this way?

The sob escaped her lips before she had any conscious thought to control it. Jacob's head whipped to the side at the realization that she was crying.

"Ness?" He gasped, darting over to her. His arms were around her in a millisecond, cocooning her in his warmth.

"Nessie, don't cry. I'm sorry, baby, I…I'm sorry. I just wanted last night to be…"

"I ruined it-"

"-No, no…you didn't. I did…I…I did what I was the most afraid of by hurting you, Nessie. I didn't mean to, and I…I'll never forgive myself for doing that to you, Ness. Never, I-"

"Jake, I wanted it. I wanted it so b-bad," she sobbed into his chest, soaking the thin cotton with her tears.

He held her tightly against his chest as she cried, murmuring every comforting word he could think of to make his imprint feel better. His heart felt like it was being jack hammered with every tear that slid down her cheek and onto his shirt. He was so determined to fix their situation somehow that he didn't hear the cleaning crew appear in the doorway.

They heard a gasp, causing them to break apart slightly to see who was standing there. Renesmee peeked around Jacob's shoulder to see the dark, native looking woman standing there in her white t-shirt and shorts. It appeared to be a uniform of sorts. She nodded briefly at the two of them, placing the bag of groceries slowly on the counter across from them as if they would jump out and bite her. Her dark eyes were wide as she continued to watch them. They were standing in the corner of the kitchen against the counter, and the housekeeper was standing across from them, but she kept her distance.

"Um, hello," Jacob offered in a friendly tone. He turned slightly to look at the woman, but Renesmee cowered slightly behind Jacob, wiping her eyes.

"Kaure?" Renesmee asked, sniffing and wiping her eyes. She recognized the native woman who cleaned their house and kept their refrigerator stocked. They had met the small, dark-skinned woman on several occasions over the years, but only when Renesmee was a small child.

She offered a guttural, deep greeting, but made no move towards them. Her dark eyes raked over Jacob; she seemed relieved at his dark skin and very human-like appearance. However, when her eyes rested on Renesmee her eyes lit up with some recognition.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, stepping towards her. He offered her a tight smile, but she ignored him. She kept gazing at Renesmee.

"N-No," she uttered brokenly, shaking her dark hair.

Renesmee realized something as the woman stared at her. How could she have been so foolish? The woman had seen her as a young girl several times when her family was on vacation on the island. Now she was seeing her two or three years later – here she was, obviously the same girl, but much older.

As soon as the thought popped into her head, the woman raised her finger and pointed at her. "Mujer," she said in a shaky voice. Her dark eyes were wide as saucers.

"What is she saying?" Jacob hissed in a low voice, so that only Renesmee could hear.

She answered by pressing her hand to his arm. _She called me a woman…. _She answered, too stunned to say anything else. Renesmee knew it was foolish to let this woman see her as an adult, but she didn't know what else to do. She had obviously been recognized.

Jacob nodded. "That's Nessie. I'm Jake," he said slowly, looking back and forth between the two of them. Renesmee stiffened, holding her breath as she waited for the reaction from the tiny woman.

She took one last, long look at the two of them before shuffling off to go about her business. Jacob looked after her, then back down at Renesmee. He shrugged his muscled shoulders, letting his hands wrap themselves around her waist before kissing the top of her head.

"Let's clean up our dishes while she cleans and then…."

"And then what?" Renesmee asked hopefully, her eyebrows relaxing. Jacob shifted uncomfortably on the tile floor, his eyes shifting to the bedrooms where Kaure was cleaning.

"We'll see."

"So you get to call the shots?" she challenged, raising one coppery eyebrow at him. Jacob paused, his mouth dropping open nervously.

"No, I just…"

"Kidding," she snorted, darting to stand in front of the sink. She glanced over her shoulder as they did the dishes, watching for the dark woman to reappear. When the dishes were done, she realized Kaure was standing behind them, awkwardly holding her cleaning bucket in her tiny hands.

"I go now," she muttered in broken English, looking at the door. Jacob nodded curtly, but Kaure didn't seem to notice. Instead, her eyes stared intently at Renesmee, never wavering. Jacob cleared his throat quietly, and her eyes looked up at him. Her dark brown irises floated between the two of them for a few moments before she nodded and turned to leave.

Jacob took her hand and led her into the comfortable TV room where they had been several nights ago, but Renesmee could only watch as Kaure made her way out the front door .

Time slowed in her mind as she stared at the door, listening to the fading sound of her footsteps. The way the woman had pointed at her and said 'woman' rang in her ears. She hadn't called her a monster or a leech like she had her family. Bella had admitted to her once that Kaure was very afraid of Edward when they were on the island. When Renesmee had been born, Alice and Jasper had hunted her down in attempts to pry information about half breed children. Based on the looks she had given her aunt and uncle on previous vacations to Isle Esme, Renesmee guessed that Kaure was quite aware of what was going on with her family. She knew the legends were true.

Her father had also shared with her all that Kaure had informed them of on their hunt for information…or had he? Seven-and-a-half years ago, they wouldn't have had a need to know whether or not Renesmee could reproduce. However, the fact that the woman knew something, anything about her rare half breed status was something that was at the front of her mind as she stared out the door. Could Kaure know more about her?

"I'll be back. I forgot to tell her something," Renesmee whispered, untangling her hand with Jacob's. He frowned, but stayed put in the doorway.

"She doesn't speak English, but okay…." He muttered, drawing out the last syllable and shaking his head. Renesmee ignored him, turning to flee out the door of the house. Her feet flew across the white, sandy path as she tore after Kaure, trying to catch her before she jumped in their boat and was gone.

The sound of the woman's heartbeat got louder and louder. Ignoring all caution, Renesmee appeared in front of the startled housekeeper, making her dig her heels into the sandy path.

"Stop," she said, holding out her hands. Kaure backed up, her eyes wild.

Renesmee struggled. How could she communicate with this woman? She didn't know the native tongue, and her Portuguese was nothing to brag about. So, she did the only thing she knew that would assure her that she was safe with her.

Reaching for her hand, she grabbed her by the wrist and held her hand against her fluttering heart. Kaure's eyes calmed as she felt the heart fluttering in her chest along with the warmth of her skin.

"Human….sort of," she said firmly, nodding at her.

Kaure nodded, her eyes careful. She watched Renesmee for a second, dropping her hand back down to her sides.

"Tell me," Renesmee said slowly and clearly. She took a breath, contemplating how to ask what she wanted to know. She pieced together what little Portuguese she knew and attempted to ask her question.

"Esperando um bebê? Um…er….Gravida?" She asked. _With child_ and _pregnant_ were the only words she could think up to get her point across. Kaure could be the only one who might know whether or not she could have children.

The woman's eyes were confused for a moment. Renesmee almost doubted whether or not she had used the right words until Kaure's eyes drifted down to her stomach.

She nodded as if to ask if what she had said was true. Renesmee shook her head, suddenly aware that Kaure thought she was with child already.

"No, no," she muttered, shaking her head. This was utterly hopeless.

Kaure muttered something else in her guttural tone, but Renesmee was wholly clueless to what she was trying to communicate.

She tried again. "É isso possível?" she asked. She was running out of Portuguese. Kaure didn't look any more informed than she had when she started.

The woman began speaking again, her tone questioning. Renesmee shook her head, kicking herself for not paying more attention to what was going on in her language lessons.

Renesmee looked back at the house, feeling defeated and hopeless. A tear rolled down her sunburnt cheek, and she hastily wiped it away. Kaure watched her carefully as she began to ramble in her sadness.

"I want to know if I can give my mate…er, boyfriend…what he deserves is all. I mean…I want to be normal enough for him and not just some freak that can't even have kids. Not that I want to have kids right now, but…that's not my goal in life or anything, it never has been," she jabbered, wiping at her tears. "But I just want to know, you know? I want to know if I can give him that…at all, really…I mean…I'm just this freak who has no one to relate to right now and I just…so many things are up in the air I just want a normal life someday, you know? I love him…and I love what we have, and someday…someday maybe I want to have kids…"

Shaking her head, she sniffed and tried to compose herself in front of the confused little woman.

Kaure handed her a handkerchief, her expression softening. Renesmee accepted it, ignoring the fact that her tears seemed to put the woman at ease. She didn't want her to be afraid, but that was the least of her worries right now.

Glancing over her shoulder, Kaure looked back at the house and frowned. Turning back to her, she gave her a quizzical expression.

"Eh…Espanol?" she asked curiously. Renesmee shrugged.

"I speak a little," she answered honestly. Kaure nodded.

"Neccessita…un…un hombre muy fuerte," she said. Renesmee figured that the woman was hoping Spanish would be a more common language between them than Portuguese.

"I need…um…" she thought quickly, trying to remember what Spanish she knew. She had dabbled in many languages before, but never thought she would have much need for them – she never got to go anywhere anyway.

_What on earth is she trying to say? I need…a need a very something man_… she thought, frowning as she tried to decipher Kaure's speech.

"Fuerte," the woman repeated. She grabbed her own arm and flexed, making a stern face. "Fuerte," she repeated again.

"Oh!" Renesmee said, her face lighting up with recognition. _She needed a strong man, that's what she was telling her. _

She nodded. "I know. He is," she assured her. The woman wouldn't be able to understand her, but in a way she did. Kaure's eyes registered understanding, and she nodded.

"Si," she agreed, glancing back at the house again.

"Thank you," Renesmee said, reaching for her hand. She squeezed it lightly, flashing her a bright smile. Kaure tensed, but returned the gesture. With that, Renesmee turned and darted back up the beach. Kaure had been more help than she would ever know.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"What did you ask her?"

Renesmee frowned, looking at him as she walked back into the room. She ignored his question.

"I'm going to cook for you," she said in a determined voice. Jacob watched with raised eyebrows as she opened the cookbook and proceeded to follow the directions for pancakes to a 't'.

"Maybe having a half vampire girlfriend won't be so bad. You're good at everything," he laughed, leaning back on the barstool.

She raised one eyebrow. "So are you my boyfriend?"

He gave her a smirk. "I am whatever you want me to be."

"I want you to be my boyfriend," she said, the smile leaving her face. She was suddenly serious. He mirrored her expression from across the counter, his eyes burning intensely into hers as he stared at her from across the counter.

"Then I'm your werewolf boyfriend if you'll be my half vampire girlfriend," he answered, flashing her a dazzling, slightly cocky smile.

"There should be a book about us," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Jacob shrugged.

"Hey, we got the time. Maybe we'll ghostwrite one someday."

She smirked back at him, and he gave her a smoldering gaze. A shiver went down her spine as she grinned smugly in satisfaction. _That_ had at least been easy.

They ate at the kitchen counter together, Jacob pulling her legs into his lap as they ate together off the same plate. She piled the pancakes high, smothering them in whipped cream, fresh fruit, and syrup. Jacob was in heaven.

"You're going to be the death of me woman," he said, rolling up a pancake and eating it whole. She laughed as he chewed, looking like he was in complete, blissful agony as he tried to finish the mountain of food on the plate in front of him.

"I've heard that more than once."

Jacob's answer was to roll his eyes.

"If you're so full, then stop eating!"

"But there's still food on the plate," he argued with a full mouth of food, motioning to the last remaining pancake on the white plate. She giggled. The mood in the kitchen was possibly a thousand times lighter than it had been an hour before, before the housekeeper's visit. Renesmee was determined to fix what had happened between them the night before. If they were really meant to be, then she knew that their love would guide them in the right direction. It had to.

She smiled as she tore the last remaining pancake in half, offering it to him. He ate it off of her fingertips, chewing happily as she sipped her orange juice.

Jacob gave his stomach a satisfied pat before reaching over to collect a dollop of syrupy whipped cream off the plate and swipe it on the tip of her nose.

"Hey!" she laughed, giving him an indignant yet playful scowl. He leaned over, licked it off, and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Thanks for breakfast."

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured, grinning up at him. He kissed her sweetly, nuzzling her neck. His warm breath on her shoulder made her toes curl in anticipation.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" he asked, placing a kiss on the crook of her pale neck.

"Can we…can we try it _again_?"

"Now?" he asked skeptically, looking around the kitchen. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"No, just…soon?"

He paused, drawing back from her. "If you really want to. Nessie, I just…I don't want to hurt you even more."

Renesmee broke away from him, her expression pouty. She stuck out her bottom lip slightly, but not on purpose. She knew this was going to be difficult. How could she possibly explain to him that something that had hurt so badly was something she wanted?

She was not completely uneducated about sex. Many late night Google searches on her phone had told her about sex – she knew that it would hurt the first time. She also knew from catching glimpses of all of her wolf friends that none of them were exactly _small._ Of course it was strange to know what your best friends looked like naked, but….her curiosity had won out and she had snuck a peek more than once. She had known that Jacob wouldn't be small when it came to the anatomy department. The pain of her first time was something that she had been practically counting on since she had decided that they were meant to be together. What she hadn't estimated was _how much_.

When she thought back to the night before, the amount of pain she had felt when he first entered her had been excruciating. It felt like a white hot branding iron had been used to rip her in half. The hardest part was trying to hide that pain from him so that he wouldn't stop mid-action, just as he had. No matter what the agony had been, she had been prepared to at least handle it in exchange for an eternity of what she hoped would be an unshakable connection with Jacob. Mind-blowing sex was also high up on her list.

She twirled a section of her hair around her finger as he stared at her. Looking away, she bit back the childish, whiny responses that were dancing on her tongue. Being ingenuous wouldn't help her win her case with Jacob – he wouldn't let her get away with it. However, her need to experience that level of closeness with him again was practically awe-inspiring. Through the pain and tears of the night before, she had been able to briefly concentrate on the one part of her that was finally connected with Jacob – and it had been mind-blowing.

The connection they had finally shared was physical, but it had been emotional, too. Never before had she felt more exposed and open to anyone. The connection was one that she had only been allowed to merely overhear before. As careful and respectful as her family members were, they were still creatures driven by their senses, instincts, and emotions. All of those were things that allowed her to occasionally see the longing glances, the playful touches and grabs, and understand the innuendos that floated throughout their casual conversations.

More than once had her parents come home from their nightly runs with a distinct scent that she couldn't quite place. Several times she had heard Rosalie's wails of ecstasy from the floor below her. She had seen Esme and Carlisle brush by each other suggestively in the kitchen. There had been a time when Alice had chewed suggestively on a pen, causing Jasper to leave the room at vampire speed.

Everyone had that experience – _everyone but her. _

She wasn't about to let him talk her out of doing this again. _There was no way they could spent the rest of eternity as virgins, right? _

"You won't…it…I mean even if I'm still a…a virgin, it won't-"

Jacob held up his hand, his dark eyes wide. "Wait, Ness…you're not still a virgin."

Her head flew up from the plate of fruit she was picking at, her own eyes widening.

"What….what are you talking about? We…we just tried it, I mean, you didn't…you didn't….hum….orgasm," she finished quietly, looking down at the white tile counter. Her face blushed crimson and she heard him exhale quickly. She felt stupid saying the words out loud.

"Uh, Ness, I….I don't know how to tell you this…" he stuttered slightly, his face crunching up into a weird expression. "Um….well…I guess I should say..."

"Just say it," she whispered. The sinking feeling in her stomach from the night before was returning.

"Once you, like….do it….you're not considered a real virgin anymore, honey. We…we basically did it, just…neither one of us…um…ah…" he sighed, scratching his head. He avoided her gaze, his tan cheeks turning crimson to match hers.

"You're serious? So…we didn't even technically finish having sex, and….and…I'm not even really a virgin anymore?" She wailed, her face growing even hotter. He winced and looked up at her.

"We could…pretend? I hear some people like…try to say that…um…"

Renesmee burst into a fresh set of tears. How much more horrible could this be?

"We didn't even really have sex!"

She watched as Jacob's face turned beet red. "Um, thanks…geez, Ness, I…."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, laying her head against his chest. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to focus on the sound of the breaths in his chest.

"I love you honey," he said softly, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She squeezed him tighter, enjoying the feeling of their embrace. Even thought she was upset, her skin sizzled pleasantly against his. Lifting her head up, she looked up at him and offered him a weak smile.

"Will we ever do anything right?" she asked in a shaky voice. He stared down at her, his dark brown eyes wide and apologetic.

"I hope so…but hey…like we said – we have tons of time to practice," he offered with a shrug. She nodded, and he pulled her out of the kitchen. Her cheeks still burned with anger and frustration.

"Can we get out of the house? Just for a little while? Take our minds off of…" he trailed off, grasping her shoulders.

"I guess that would be best," she agreed solemnly, and she left to go change. Anything to get away from the house.

As she walked into the bedroom, she glared at the bed that was still unmade and messy from the night before.

_Stop it, _she chided herself mentally. _Focus on the now…._

Opting for simplicity, she chose a plain black tank top and khaki shorts, both loose fitting. She wasn't sure what to wear or how to even act after what had happened with Jacob. They had had _sex._ How was she going to get over the embarrassment of the catastrophe that had been her first time? It had been nothing short of a train wreck, yet she wasn't willing to give up all hope just yet – she couldn't.

Jacob met her in the entrance of the house. He was shirtless, standing in front of the glass doors with his hands jammed in his pockets. When he saw her, he smiled hopefully, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. She could tell he was trying very hard to make everything okay for her, and her heart warmed a little at the sight of standing there waiting for her.

They spent the day hiking; Jacob in wolf form, Renesmee running along beside him. She normally would want him to be in his human form so that they could talk, but today…today she was a bit relieved that he was in wolf form. It was easier that way, at least for that day. As much as the tension between them saddened her, it was better than talking at the moment.

They hiked through the tiny island jungle, using the familiar paths to navigate through the greenery. Renesmee was finally able to let herself relax and enjoy the scenery around her. Eventually, she slowed to a stop in a clearing of the jungle and took in the sights of nature around her.

_How does Isle Esme seem to feel like a magical, far off place? I don't feel like this is real sometimes…_ she thought.

The birds chirped loudly, and the noise echoed off of the tall, green trees. The humidity hung in the air, giving everything a slightly misty, enchanting appearance. The sun shone through the high tree boughs, giving her skin a luminous glow and Jacob's coat a shiny reddish hue. Off in the distance, she could hear the waves crashing against the east side of the island.

As she stood, admiring the color flowers, a small bird that resembled a parakeet stopped and perched on a branch close to her. It sang it's little song, making eye contact with her somewhat bashfully. Renesmee smiled, slowly creeping closer to it. It fluttered its wings, chirping melodically.

Suddenly, the leaves on the trees around her shook and cracked as they broke, and Jacob emerged. He had obviously backtracked; bothered that she was no longer keeping up with him.

The little bird squawked angrily and was gone in a flurry of bright green, downy feathers. Jacob stuck his head through the thick greens, his eyes bored and his ears flopping down on either side of his head to show his annoyance.

"You scared the bird," she said indignantly, throwing up her hands. Jacob made a grumbling sound in the back of his throat, his expression obviously unimpressed.

Renesmee chuckled to herself, turning on her heel and walking to the other side of the clearing. Jacob emerged from the trees fully, following her out. He swung his long tail from side to side, ruffling the leaves on the trees next to him.

Sighing, she looked at him sideways. "Must you be so ungainly?" she teased. Jacob barked loudly, as if to say '_hey!'_

"Bark all you want, pup!" she replied, turning around to touch the hibiscus flowers the grew wild in the jungle. Jacob tromped over to her, his paws stirring the undergrowth of the jungle. She smiled when she felt a cold nose on her shoulder, nudging her slightly.

"I'm sorry," she said over her shoulder with a smile. He chuffed slightly, then walked away. Renesmee stood very still, hoping her bird-friend would return. When she heard a cracking sound, she turned around to see Jacob breaking off a small branch off another hibiscus plant that was across the clearing. Renesmee watched as he grasped the stalk carefully in his teeth and ambled back over to her. She held out her hand, and he dropped it daintily in her palm. The two pink flowers attached to the stalk were beautiful. She laughed at him as he spit and coughed slightly at the taste of the gooey liquid that oozed from the broken branch.

"So sweet," she laughed, accepting her gift. Her fingertips grazed over the silky petals, lingering on the edge as she watched him watch her. Even though he was in wolf form, his eyes and expressions were still clearly his own; it was like looking at him through an intricate mask. He blinked almost expectantly at her, making her heart beat a little faster. Staring into his deep, brown eyes, her breath grew ragged in her chest as she realized what he was trying to say.

Leaning forward, she leaned her forehead against his fur covered one. Placing her hand on his muzzle, she spoke with her gift.

_I love you too, Jake. So, so very much,_ she communicated. He huffed again, shifting slightly on his strong legs as she leaned against him. She pressed a kiss to his muzzle, gently stroking the thin fur there. A shudder of pleasure rippled through him, and for a moment, they were not only the only ones on the island, but they were the only ones on the planet.

She sighed, closing her eyes. Jacob's warm, wolfy breath blew across her face, calming her despite its slightly canine scent. He nudged her neck affectionately, and she grasped it in her palm.

"I feel silly cuddling with a giant dog," she whispered with a giggle. "Can we go home?"

Jacob looked at her, then nudged her again. "What do you want? Sheesh, dog," she laughed, pushing him gently back.

Before she could speak again, Jacob phased back to human form and quickly pinned her against a nearby tree. Renesmee gasped, then giggled nervously. His hair was sticking up in all directions, his eyes were alive and wide, and he had a rough, un-civilized and fresh aroma the hung in the air around him. Traces of his wolf scent still hung in the air, but on top of that was the very definite smell of her Jacob.

"Jake!" she gasped again as he grabbed her sides roughly. He smiled evilly, flashing his white teeth at her. There was something so wild and uninhibited about him right now, and she felt her core instantly dampen at the sight of him so freshly phased.

"Who you callin' dog?" he growled playfully, his fingertips digging pleasantly into the flesh on her sides. She smiled coyly again, squeezing her legs together. It felt slightly taboo to be as turned on as she was at seeing him like this after the night before.

Jacob's nostrils flared, and she felt his naked body tense as he pressed her up against the tree. "You," she challenged. She bit her bottom lip as he held her there, panting slightly. She knew he could smell her, and she gained nothing but sheer enjoyment from it.

"You make me so crazy," he growled, nipping at her bottom lip. She groaned and instinctively ground her hips against the growing hardness between his own. His naked skin felt like it was on fire even through her thin shorts and tank top. She kissed him back, pressing her lips firmly against his. Her kisses were open mouthed and deep. She wanted him to know just how much she wanted him like that _again and soon_.

"You minx," he laughed throatily, his hands roughly sliding up her sides. His thumbs grazed over her nipples, which were now standing at attention through her thin cotton top. She sucked in a breath and grabbed his face, pulling his lips against hers again. He growled in response to her rough behavior, pushing her harder against the tree.

"Oh," she gasped as he thrust his stiff manhood against her center. The movement sent a pulse of pleasant thrills through her that made her teeth come down on her lip. She hooked her leg around his waist, pulling herself up. He understood. Jacob leaned her back against the tree, grabbing her other leg. He hooked it around his waist as her hands wound themselves behind his neck in an iron grasp.

Their eyes met; both were dark and full of lust as they stared at each other. The only noise in the jungle was the sound of their ragged breathing and the chirping of the tropical birds. She watched as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, his dewy, tan skin practically glowing in the dim light of the tall trees.

"You're so beautiful," she breathed, trying to catch her breath. She could run for hours at top speed across the desert and not feel how she felt now. He was the only thing that could make her feel so breathless.

"Beautiful? Way to make me sound like a girl," he growled playfully, pushing his hips against her again. She made a whimper at the feeling his stiffness poking her.

"Jacob," she groaned, gripping him tighter. He lifted his chin defiantly, taking his lip between his teeth.

"Yes?"

"You're naked," she blurted out. _Way to state the obvious, Renesmee…_

"I'm very naked," he stated simply, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"So?"

"So you've seen me naked. I've seen you…naked," he added, giving her a flirty wink between breathless pants.

Renesmee rolled her eyes and kissed him hungrily. "Now you're the one making _me _crazy. You're naked and pressing me up against a tree - what does this mean?"

He shook his head as he kissed her, moving his lips across hers. "No…no words…words usually only get us in trouble."

She giggled but kissed him back. His teeth grazed her bottom lip, and she sighed as his tongue sought entrance into her mouth. She opened it slightly, welcoming the taste of him.

He gripped her tightly, grinding against her shorts with his stiff cock. "Fuck," he growled, deep in his chest. Renesmee opened her eyes slightly to see him frowning.

Jacob was quickly losing control, but…he couldn't make himself care. Of course the night before he had lost it and hurt Renesmee, yet…he had also gotten a taste of what being with her…_really being with her _felt like. It was pure bliss for his body to finally be joined with hers. His mate, his other half, his imprint…it was too much. He wanted that feeling again, despite how the night before had gone. It had been a sheer disaster of course, as everything with them seemed to be, however…he could tell that it had only drawn the closer.

When he woke that morning, he had thought that the last thing he would want to do was attempt to make love to Renesmee again. Yet, as he laid eyes on her naked body against the white sheets…the way she clung to him in the kitchen…the way her shorts fit around her perfect, round ass….it was more than he could handle. He wanted her again.

Feeling his cock encased by her silky walls was like nothing else he could have imagine. Seeing into the pack mind had been nothing compared to the sensation of actually _feeling_ her. Now that he had had her, or at least partially had her, he wanted her again. Being with her like that had become like a drug to him. Even though their first time had been a disaster, she had him more wrapped around her pale little finger than ever before. At this point, he would do anything to feel her again. He craved her touches…her soft, tentative hands on his body, teasing and provoking him…

"Oh Jake," she groaned as he kissed, sucked, and nipped his way down her neck.

_I wonder if she knows that she's controlling me…what I'd give to feel her like that again…oh god…must…have her again… _the wolf inside of him chanted. He gripped the waistline of her shorts, his strong hands mindlessly tearing at the fabric. When he heard a tearing sound, he opened his eyes and looked down.

The shorts were destroyed, and were handing off her opposite leg as if they had been cut down the side. She stared at him in shock, her chest heaving. The thin, black material of her tank top did nothing to hide the way her hardened nipples stood out. Her eyes were dilated and dark, and her cheeks were flushed.

Suddenly, his senses were assaulted by the fresh wave of her arousal as it hit him. He moaned, his eyes rolling back in his head as he tried to fight the urge to join his body with hers again. He knew that if he did this now, he wouldn't be able to control himself and go slow like he needed to.

"Wait, wait," she gasped, pushing him away as he tried to kiss her again.

"Wha-…?" he breathed, opening his eyes further.

"I doubt you have a condom."

Her words made his eyes open all the way. As much as he wanted to claim his mate right there in the steamy jungle, he did not want a repeat of her mother and father's bizarre predicament on their trip to Isle Esme. Granted, he wasn't sure if Renesmee could even conceive, but the last thing he wanted to do was get her into trouble when she was miles away from her family - and Carlisle. He was the only one that Jacob would trust taking care of Renesmee in a situation like _that_.

He panted several times, his breaths shallow and forced. His head was spinning.

"What?" he breathed.

Renesmee swallowed hard. "Condoms. You don't have any on you, I'm guessing?"

Jacob thought frantically. "N-no," he answered, loosening his grip on her sides. Her body relaxed slightly, and she blinked several times.

"Jake…"

"…we can't. I know. I'm sorry, I….I got…"

"…me too. It's okay," she panted, weaving her hand into his shaggy hair. She pulled his face closer, pressing a needy kiss against his mouth. "I know. I…I feel it too. I need you…I need you too, but…"

"I know, I know baby….y-you're right."

Renesmee smiled to herself, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "Did you just…call me _baby_?"

Jacob's cheeks reddened slightly before he turned his face away. "Maybe," he mumbled, his words barely intelligible. Satisfaction sizzled through her at the new nickname. Calling someone 'baby' was new, and purely a pet name…it was something Emmett called her aunt Rose after they had satisfied each other. Her own cheeks turned slightly pink at the idea.

"Let's go home," she said simply. Jacob turned his head to look at her, as if he was questioning whether or not she had ulterior motives for going home. She straightened her clothes, clenched her jaw, and breezed past him in all of his naked glory, and headed towards the house. Jacob followed obediently, pausing only to phase back into wolf form and walk after her. They were silent for most of the long walk home. By the time they got near, it was growing dark on the island. Renesmee paused where the dense, green jungle met the sand of the beach where the house lie. She patted Jacob on the shoulder, tousling the soft fur there.

"It'll all be alright Jake," she mused quietly, staring out at the setting sun. "At least I think so."

He turned his head to look at her, his gaze slightly befuddled. She gave him a somewhat saddened smile. "We've been through too much for it all not to be alright…" she trailed off, her face growing serious. "Do you think you'll ever want to be with me like that…ever again?"

His mind wanted to scream _right now!, _but he couldn't in wolf form. He had wanted to take her up against that tree back in the jungle and claim her again and again as his own in the most primal way he knew how, but that wouldn't do. He would not risk hurting her again. As he stared at her side profile, gazing out at the horizon, he was awestruck for probably the ten thousandth time in seven and a half short years by the simplistic, kind beauty before him. Although she had had her moments while growing up when he wanted to shake her, he had to admit that she had become a beautiful woman right before his eyes.

_Obsessed much, Jake? I think if I get any more completely consumed by this girl they should rename head cases in my honor… _he thought with a huff.

As they walked up to the house, he could only hope that Renesmee wouldn't try anything funny that night. He had nearly lost it in the woods, and he couldn't afford to do that again. Something had come over him, seeing her standing there, admiring the nature around her….she had looked so breathtaking and alluring that he had been overcome with lust for her. He shuddered as he paused, preparing to phase back. _Control_…he just needed to stay in control. If he could do that, then maybe he could be with her like that again. And perhaps that time….he could make it a pleasurable experience.

As he tried to focus to phase back, his eyes focused on her as she silently glided into the house through the glass doors, her shapely behind and legs swaying slightly as she walked. He was practically salivating being in her mere presence.

With a jolt, he realized that if his imprint needed him, he would do whatever he would to please her - she had him wound so tightly around his finger that he knew….If Renesmee wanted him, he would do anything she asked.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Once they had both showered and changed into fresh clothes, they honored what was quickly becoming a nighttime tradition of watching a movie in the cozy den off the kitchen. Renesmee ducked her head as she curled up on the corner of the couch, unsure how close she should be to Jacob. While they normally came into that room every night to watch movies, most of their time before the night before had been spent fooling around and only pretending to watch what was taking place on the screen. Now….she wasn't sure what to do.

"Don't be like that, Ness. We can't let it be like that," he said softly, appearing in the doorway of the room. He stepped down the carpeted steps, shuffling over to the couch. He sat down in his usual spot on the L-shaped sofa where the pieces curved and looked over at her. She looked so dejected and unsure on the couch.

"Like what?"

"You know what I mean. Like we're afraid to touch each other. We can't let this…ruin us. What happened….what happened last night should have brought us closer together."

Renesmee looked over at him, lifting her head up from the plush cushions of the couch. She was shocked at his confession.

"I'm just…not sure what you want from me."

"I want…" he started, suddenly at a loss for words. The TV flickered in the background, but neither one of them paid any attention as the tension in the room grew.

"I want us to finally be that couple. As much as I hate it…looking at your parents because they're so sickening together…they're just…so in tune," he admitted. "I'm not jealous, so don't think that for a second," he said quickly. "I just want for it to be our turn I guess." He leaned forward, placing he elbows on his knees.

"We've always been in tune with each other….only just recently did I find out why…" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I know I know, I should have told you. But what I'm trying to say Ness is that I don't want last night to…make things harder. It shouldn't….and…I'd do anything to make it right," he added quietly, looking down at his hands.

They were quiet for a few minutes, both of them staring blankly at the television. Renesmee felt awkward, but also determined as she crawled over and draped herself over him. He tried his best to mask his surprise as he lifted his arm, cradling her against his chest. She tucked her feet up underneath her as she leaned back, burrowing her face into the spot below his chin.

She pressed her hand against his collar bone. _I just want to fit with you._

He squeezed her closer against the planes of his chest. "You couldn't fit better with anyone if you tried," he chuckled. "Oh wait, you have."

Renesmee giggled and smacked his chest playfully, settling against him to watch whatever sappy movie was playing on the screen.

"Are you really my boyfriend?" she asked after a few minutes. He tried not to roll his eyes at the repeated question from that morning. How she could assume that he was anything less was beyond him. Jacob leaned down slightly, not taking his eyes off the screen as he kissed her head. He hated how quickly he got sucked into the chick flicks that Renesmee seemed to love.

"I am whatever you want me to be."

"Good. That's what I want then. You're my boyfriend," she said with satisfaction.

"I believe we confirmed that this morning, Ness."

"I just wanted to hear you say it again."

"Okay, girlfriend," he said, pressing his lips against her ear as he spoke.

Renesmee smiled and wrapped his arm around her tighter as the movie ended.

They sat in amicable silence for the rest of the movie, just enjoying each other's company. Jacob watched as she popped another slightly girlish movie into the DVD player. The new movie was about two lovers torn apart by war and the struggles they went through to be together. Jacob looked down at Renesmee halfway through the movie, checking to see if she was still even awake.

"You ok?" he asked, cocking his head to look at her. He expected her to have fallen asleep, but instead her eyes were open and glistening with tears.

"Hey…What…what's wrong?" he asked, looking at her closely. He turned her body to that he could look at her. She turned her head to hide her tears, but he had already seen them.

"What is this about?" he asked, his voice concerned. His eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to read the emotion in her dewy eyes, but she turned her head again. Her coppery curls fell forward into her face, creating a bronzed curtain.

"Stop hiding from me," he pouted slightly, brushing the tendrils from her hair. She bit her lip as a tear slid down her cheek.

"What's this about?" he repeated again.

"Them," she said in a wavering voice, looking at the television. The two main characters had been reunited and were now in the throes of passion. He watched the screen as the man and woman rolled around unrealistically on the bed, their faces overdone and their moans sounding slightly forced.

"This shitty movie is not making you cry, is it?" He groaned, swiping her tears away with his thumb. He cradled her face as she watched the screen with her glassy, tear filled eyes.

"They…they make it look so _easy_."

_Oh…so that's what this is about, _he thought.

"Babe…it's a movie. _A movie_. Nothing to get upset over. It's fake."

"But…but they don't' make it look face."

Jacob looked skeptically at the screen as the two main characters gracefully rolled around amongst the sheets of the canopy bed. He groaned inwardly as he realized how opposite their own similar endeavor the night before had been.

"It's just a movie Ness. Is that really what's bothering you?"

Renesmee pressed her cheek to his chest, and he winced as he felt the hot tears from her beautiful brown eyes cling to his skin. _She was upset over a movie? _He had to make this right. Clenching his jaw, he cradled her against him and squeezed her against his body. Her tears flowed steadily, and he shook his head at himself.

"Shhhh, honey, its okay," he said softly, gathering her in his arms. Pulling her into his lap, he rocked her gently. The movie ended soon after, and the credits began to roll in the dark room. Neither one of them noticed as she continued shed silent tears and he tried to calm her. Jacob cursed himself for hurting her in the first place.

"Do you want to talk about it some more?" he asked quietly, pressing his head against hers. She shook her head no, and he held her tighter.

"I know it was…hard last night," he paused, cringing at choice of words. _Things were certainly not hard the night before after a certain point… _he thought bitterly. "But it's alright. I love you more than anything for going through that with me. First times are always…uhm….difficult."

"Really?" she sniffed, looking up at him. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and he nodded.

"Of course. I mean…the guys have shown me…bits and pieces over the years in their minds as they thought of these things, and no one does it….it's not like the movies, Nessie. You have to understand that. It's never like the movies. And I wouldn't want it to be like the movies Ness. That's not real - what we have is real."

"Do you mean it?"

"Really. No one else but you. If it would have been anyone else…I think I might have actually died from embarrassment and shame."

Renesmee laughed, wiping her eyes. She looked at him as he held her tightly, even after everything that had happened the night before. Her heart swelled with love for the man in front of her, and she was suddenly very grateful that he was all hers.

"I love you," she whispered, reaching up to press her hand to his cheek.

_I love you and if we have to have awkward sex for the rest of eternity, then…then I'll still love you. I'll have bad sex with you forever, Jake_, she said with her gift.

He smiled broadly, his lips pulling back over his white teeth as he chuckled deeply, guffawing at her declaration.

"I love you too," he laughed, hugging her closer. "I think that's all that matters. Maybe the rest will just…come to us with practice," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. She grinned to herself, leaning her head up for another quick kiss.

He kissed her chastely, then pulled back slightly to look at her. Renesmee rubbed her lips together, tasting him on her tongue. He watched her mouth as she did it, and something in his eyes changed at that moment. Jacob's dark orbs looked up at her through hooded eyelids, and she returned the stare. Slowly, he lowered his mouth down to hers and began to kiss her again. With each time their mouth touched, their kisses deepened more and more. The DVD menu popped up on the screen, playing the same song and slide show over and over again, but she couldn't hear it and neither could he. _They were lost in each other. _

Her hands reached up to grip his cheeks gently in her palms as he held her in his lap, showing him how good it felt to have him kiss her. He grunted in surprise, but quickly understood what she was trying to show him. She was enjoying herself, and wanted _more_. He quickly realized he couldn't refuse her wishes…not that he wanted to.

The DVD menu continued to play the same theme song as it flashed in the dark room, giving them the proper setting to do what they were doing. She felt almost naughty to be making out with him on the couch where they had sat so many times with her family; yet…she didn't' care_. Nothing else mattered right then…nothing but him. _

He smiled against her lips, and she realized that she had just shown him her thoughts.

"You like that idea," she laughed, running a hand down his neck. He nodded, kissing her again to stop her words. They didn't need words right now…they just needed each other.

One arm stayed around her back, holding her in his lap, and the other trailed down her neck and over her breast. He boldly yet gently squeezed it, marveling at the way her soft skin felt against his hand. The material of her silky pajama top was thin, and he could feel her react to his touch through the flimsy material. Her nipples instantly hardened as she became more aroused. He felt his cock twitch in his shorts that were quickly becoming much too tight for his liking.

Renesmee groaned in appreciation, making him shudder. Her hands gripped his t-shirt, and she quickly reached down and pulled, signaling that she wanted it off of him, and promptly. He broke their kisses to yank it over his head. His mouth quickly returned to hers, and she smiled against his lips when they were joined again.

They continued to kiss for a few more minutes, each touch and breath growing more and more needy and erotic. She finally whimpered a little against his mouth, and he paused slightly before pulling away to look at her. Their eyes met in a silent exchange, and no words were spoken. He unbuttoned his shorts, she pulled off her pajamas, and her underwear soon followed. He wasn't making a move to stop her, and she didn't want him to - she wasn't going to give him the opportunity to say 'no'.

He repositioned himself on top of her so that they were laying length wise on the white couch. She was amazed and how quickly their bodies wove together in a mess of white limbs and brown ones; she was sure they were quite a sight to see.

The feeling of his hot skin against hers set her body deliciously on fire. It felt purely amazing to feel him like this again, only this time she was so wrapped up in how turned on she was that it didn't even occur to her to be nervous. Every bad thing that could happen to them had already happened, so how much worse could it get?

Jacob thrust against her in passion as he kissed her, letting his mouth trail down her neck. She whined, pressing her hand to his neck.

_Please, _she begged silently. He chuckled against the skin on her neck, letting his teeth scrap her.

_Don't refuse her…give her what you know she needs_, the wolf inside him growled. For once, he didn't want to argue.

He pulled away to reach for his shorts, and she tried to hide her surprise that he had a condom in the pocket of his ripped khaki shorts. His hands moved at almost vampire speed as he rolled it onto himself - it was much easier that night, and he was very thankful.

He looked at her in question, as if to ask whether or not she was sure. She nodded.

Still no words were spoken as he slowly entered her. The DVD menu continued to play annoying music and flicker in the dark room, but she was a million miles away by now as Jacob moved inside of her. It hurt a lot less this time, but he still tried to go as slow as his body would allow. He looked down at her as her body adjusted to him, as if asking if she was okay. She nodded, pulling him down closer to her. His hips rocked back and for a few seconds, and she felt her body start to enjoy what he was doing to it.

He sighed into her mouth as they kissed, his body moving in synch with hers. He kissed down her neck as he moved slowly inside her, and all the sudden she felt her body actually start to enjoy what was happening. His movements became easier, and she could feel her own body stretching to accommodate his size. Instead of the searing, white hot pain from the night before, she began to feel immense pleasure as he continued to thrust against her.

She surprised herself when she reached a hand behind him, placing it on his bare behind. With a firm grasp, she showed him just how hard she wanted him to move against her and he happily complied. Renesmee felt briefly shameful as he lips claimed his again and again. Opening her eyes slightly, she felt satisfaction move through her bones as she saw the content grin that would flash briefly across his face between gasps for air. He leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers again, as if to calm her questioning thoughts about what they were doing. She wanted this; he wanted this.

He bent his head down slightly to take one of her stiff nipples in his mouth. She moaned in appreciation as she felt his tongue swirl around her pointed tip, pleasing her and making her core moisten ever more. Jacob thrust against her harder this time, and she heard herself whimper in response. His hand played with her other breast, making her bite her lip in sweet frustration. She wanted _all _of him.

Renesmee leaned her head back on the soft couch cushions as he moved above her. Both of them had their eyes squeezed shut as their imprint bond worked in their favor and helped them begin to swim in ecstasy. He moved against her, joining his body with hers again and again as they seemed to melt together on the couch, oblivious to everything else around them. Nothing else mattered, she thought briefly as Jacob's leaned down to press his lips against hers.

Nothing else would ever matter as much as this and the man she was sharing it with. _Ever. _

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

There you have it! I apologize for the delay - I've been trying for days now to make this chapter just right, so I hope you all enjoy it! I wanted to show that sex doesn't fix everything - and even though two people love each other doesn't mean that the sex will automatically be mind blowing between them.

That said, I did not get ONE flame about the rather awkward lemon in the previous chapter. I expected people to hunt me down and slap me for that one, but all of you that left reviews were extremely supportive on and board with what I was doing. So Thank You! The support from everyone with this fic has picked up lately, and I'm super grateful for all of it. Know that your kind words mean the world to me, and they inspire me so much. Hugs to you all!

Enough rambling for now…thank you all and I'm off to write!

Big thanks to **Rain-It-Shall **for her awesome beta work!


	49. Need

And now you're my whole life

now you're my whole world

I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl

We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in

And I'll look at you and say

And I thought I loved you then

_Brad Paisley - Then_

x-x-x-x-x-x

She felt like water.

She felt like water that had been contained, kept in too small of a space for far too long. The dam that had been holding her keeping her from moving, threatening to overflow. But now…now she had been freed. The floodgates had opened, letting all of her love for Jacob overflow.

It was now evident to her that her love for the man beside her could never be contained again. What had happened between them had opened a connection between them that was now irrevocable.

She panted slightly, basking in the slightly breathless feeling that only Jacob seemed to give her. Her heart was slamming against her chest so fast that it felt like a hummingbird was trapped inside, it's wings beating against her ribcage. Smiling to herself, she enjoyed the feeling as she realized that _he_ had been the one to give it to her. She wound her leg into his, running her hand down the side of his smooth, sculpted side. Her fingertips ran further forward, over the concave dips and protruding ripples of the muscles on his side. The tip of her pointer finger traced the line that was half of the deep 'v' shaped muscle of his abdomen that seemed to beckon her downwards to his…

"Hey," he growled playfully, tensing slightly under her touch. She looked up, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips.

"Yes?" She questioned coyly. He chuckled a deep, raspy laugh and gently grabbed her wrist.

He met her gaze, his eyes dark and playful. He growled lightly, making his chest rumble just enough to make the sound be heard. Renesmee couldn't resist letting her lips part into a seductive smile.

"Is there any part of you that isn't covered in muscles? I…I just want to touch them…" she murmured, her eyes growing slightly unfocused as she stared down at the 'V' on his abdomen.

"You can touch me all you want….as long as I can return the favor."

Renesmee snickered. "I invite it."

Jacob chuckled softly, pushing a strand of her hair behind her shoulder. She was lying on her side next to him, completely naked and exposed. Their bodies were pressed up against each other on the couch. There wasn't really enough room for them to both be lying lengthwise next to each other, but that was part of it's appeal.

"You really are trying to kill me," he said softly, nuzzling his nose into her slightly damp hairline. Sweat danced on both of their brow lines from their exertion on the couch, but neither seemed to care how hot and humid the tiny den had suddenly become. Both of them were determinedly trying to savor what had just happened between them. Renesmee turned to lie on her back on the couch, no longer caring that she was completely exposed and naked, pressed against his side.

Her eyes focused hazily on the white ceiling of the small room as her mind whirred with activity. Flashes of Jacob moving on top of her, kissing down her neck, his tongue mingling with hers as they moved together in perfect sync…it was almost too much. Almost.

"I didn't…I didn't hurt you…did I?" Jacob's timid, unsure voice cut through the muggy air in the dark den. He reached behind himself on the couch, finally silencing the DVD menu that had seemed to play the same title music for hours.

Renesmee did a quick, silent inventory of everything. She felt fine - in fact, she felt wonderful.

"Don't fib," he ordered quickly, his voice concerned but firm.

"No," she said simply, still staring up at the ceiling. Jacob silently took his own bodily inventory.

"You hurt me," he chuckled, shifting on the couch. "I'm going to have bruises the shape of your fingers on my butt cheeks."

Renesmee's eyes were immediately the size of saucers. "Oh, Jacob, I'm sorry!" she gasped, her head whipping to the side to look at him. He flashed his white teeth and laughed.

"You didn't really hurt me you goon," he guffawed, pulling on a damp curl. The coppery strand of hair bounced as he let it go. Renesmee gave him a mortified look as he grinned at her.

"That's the beauty of this whole…imprint thing. You're made for me and I'm made for you…so….you can't hurt me…I'm tough."

Renesmee studied his face for a second, searching his chiseled features for a lie.

"Sap."

He laughed again. "I'm trying to make you feel better about roughly _grabbing my butt_ during sex," he laughed, his voice dropping with slight embarrassment, "and you're calling me a sap for basically saying I was made for you. _Pfft, _women," he said, feigning annoyance.

"The rest of the pack is sooo going to hear about this, aren't they? Oh crap, I just-"

"-It's okay, it's okay," he promised, kissing her forehead. "You know Ness, the sex I can hide from my pack if I'm careful, but….I don't think I could hide that if I tried. If I wasn't so content to lie here with you and stare….I would um….well…want to go look in the mirror."

Renesmee's cheeks reddened. "You're mean," she giggled. "I just wanted….well…what I _wanted_," she mumbled, finishing her sentence rather bashfully.

"Oh I know what you wanted," he responded coyly.

Renesmee's eyes narrowed for a split second. She had never been able to take teasing very well, whether it was her goofy Uncle Emmett, her grandpa Charlie, Seth, or even Jake. _Especially _Jake.

She rolled over so that she was straddling his naked body. Giving him her best sultry, so-sexy-they're-only-seen-in magazines bedroom eyes, she stared down at him. Placing her hands on his hardened pecs, she opened her connection with him. Images and flashes of their lovemaking just moments ago flooded his mind making it hard to even see straight.

"You did know what I wanted…only I wanted it _harder…."_

"Hmm?" he moaned, closing his eyes so that he could enjoy her visions.

"_Faster_," she teased with a groan, grinding her warm center against his hardening arousal. She wanted to see how far he would let her take this before stopping her.

"Ahh…." he sucked in a gasp of air, his eyes squeezed shut.

"More," she growled slightly, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

Jacob's head tilted back, his senses completely assaulted by the erotic images. He wanted her again…and _now_.

With his eyes still closed, he grabbed her by the hips that she was using to tease and taunt him so….

"Shit Renesmee," he groaned, grinding his teeth together. She still sat straddled on his hips, enjoying the feeling of Jacob losing control.

"Yes Jacob?"

"Gah….argh," he grunted, finally giving in. He lifted he up just enough so that he could slip himself inside her. Renesmee's eyes went wide and she gasped loudly as his strong hands held her down on top of him. The feeling of him inside of her with nothing between them was simply exquisite; she had never felt anything so appealing. Her sensitive skin could feel every inch of him, and it felt amazing. However, she couldn't let herself enjoy it.

"Jake," she panted, picking up her hands. His eyes flew open to her slightly panicked ones, and he instantly dropped his hands from her hips.

Renesmee jumped off of him, disappearing in a pale blur. His eyes stayed wide as he realized just _how _carried away he had gotten. He was about to panic when Renesmee appeared back in front of him, a shiny foil package between her small fingers.

"Here," she hissed, her bare chest heaving. He had to pry his eyes away from her bare, perfect breasts to roll the condom onto himself. She tackled him and they resumed before he could even finish another thought. His desperation to join himself with her again overcame every thought in his mind that would have normally said 'be careful'. By the time he rolled on top of her and sunk himself back into her to the hilt, neither one could remember why they had just been panicking. The feeling of her silky walls around his throbbing erection was more than he could handle.

_This girl feels like absolute heaven_, he thought briefly before moving against her wet heat. _I could go forever and not get tired of this….but I won't get tired of trying…_

He set a fast and somewhat frenzied pace, completely unable to regain control of himself. Renesmee wasn't helping matters, Her hands were everywhere; in his hair, on his behind, scraping up his back….it was too much.

He poured himself into her, silently cursing the need for condoms. The brief second he had felt her silky walls around him had been bliss. He already ached for it again.

He groaned as the feeling of completion settled over his taut muscles. Renesmee writhed beneath him, alternating between soft little sighs and chewing on her bottom lip. He looked down at her, sweaty, glowing, and erotic as hell.

_And she's all mine…_

He rolled off of her, not wanting to suffocate her with his scorching hot skin in the already hot room. They panted together as their bodies relaxed, both of them trying to breath normally again.

Jacob looked over at her. She was wiping her brow and using his arm that was behind her head as a pillow. They were squished together on the too-small couch, but he wouldn't want it any other way. His imprint looked so peaceful and beautiful in that moment that he felt like an idiot for almost ruining it with his primal, sexual urge to join their bodies.

_I won't do to her what Edward did to her mother…_he silently vowed, setting his jaw firmly.

They laid together in silence for a few more minutes, each one collecting their thoughts. He was just happy that they had finally been able to be together intimately without both of them feeling humiliated.

"Is _that_ what you wanted?" He asked with a little laugh.

She lightly slapped his shoulder, sitting up on the couch to stretch. Looking over her own shoulder, she took in the view of Jacob as he laid there, stretched out with a look of pure relaxation on his face. Reaching back, she touched her fingertips to his cheek to show him how relaxed he was. _Why? _She wanted to know.

He looked like he could sleep peacefully for years….She felt like she could run a race right now, her heart was so happy and excited. They had finally fit together in the way she had only dreamt about.

"Because. I finally feel…._satisfied_," he said, growling slightly at the end of his words.

She laughed, brushing her long, coppery curls in front of her as he began to stroke the smooth skin on her back.

Goosebumps began to form where his fingers touched, despite the warm temperature of the room. "That feels so good," she sighed, leaning forward onto her propped up knee.

Jacob was silent for a few moments. "Did…did it really feel good this time?"

"Mmmhmmm," she hummed, closing her eyes to relish in the feeling of his fingertips.

He was quiet for another few moments. "Did it feel…_really _good?"

"I told you it did," she murmured, lifting her head up to glance over her shoulder at him.

Jacob rolled his eyes at himself, biting his lip. She could tell that if she just remained silent that the words he was trying to say would eventually come out.

"I mean was it…was it _good_? Did you…ulgh, I'm a grown ass man and I…um…did you…"

She frowned. "Did I….?"

He looked away, nodding his head slightly. "Did you…_you know_?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Did I…"

Jacob wet his lips and sat up slightly. "I can't go back to La Push and feel like a man unless I….unless you…_enjoyed _it, Nessie."

"You mean did I orgasm?" she asked bluntly, opening her eyes all the way. He lowered his gaze slightly in embarrassment as he laid there, propped up on his elbow.

He snorted. "Leave it to you to sound like a medial journal. Thanks Carlisle…well…well yeah. So…so, did you?"

She thought a moment. _How to answer this without hurting his feelings…_

"Well…no, I don't think so. No."

Jacob's face turned dark, and she could tell that he was silently fuming. "I knew it."

"Jake…we have plenty of time for that." Her heart went out to him. How could she explain how happy she was in the moment, just enjoying the feeling of afterwards with him? They had just connected on a whole other level that she had thought for the last twenty-four hours was going to be impossible for them, or at least for awhile anyway.

He sighed heavily from below, and she looked at him skeptically. "Don't ruin this."

"Ruin what? I'm just….mad at myself."

"Why on earth-"

"Because I can't even…I can't even satisfy you…like that."

"Jake…no," she said, taking his hand. She clasped it in her own before holding it above her racing heart. "Does it feel like I'm unsatisfied?"

"No, it just feels like you ran a race," he grumbled, stretching his palm to cover her heart. His skin sizzled against hers, and his eyes became a little unfocused.

"See?" she whispered, dipping her head to the side to meet his forlorn gaze.

"I still feel…"

"Never mind it. Can we go…get in the bed?" she asked hopefully, glancing back down at him.

Jacob's expression rapidly changed. "Um…yeah," he said happily, his tone surprised. He jumped up, this time only looking slightly bashful that he was completely naked. Renesmee stood as gracefully as she could before he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the blue bedroom.

The blue room from the night before didn't even feel like the same room. That room had felt stuffy and awkward last night, with hints of their embarrassing first time splayed all around. Tonight it was calm…peaceful…and comfortable.

Jacob had opened the windows that faced the beach, letting the slightly cooler night air blow through the thin screens. The stars twinkled outside, reflecting off the perfect black water. Crickets chirped happily outside the window, and in the distance an exotic bird gave one of it's last few shrill calls of the night. As Jacob crawled into the soft white linens beside her, she couldn't help but feel like all was right with the world, at least for a little while.

As soon as his tan body hit the sheets, Renesmee wasted no more time before molding her body against his. He stiffened slightly in surprise as she pressed her naked form against him, but he quickly returned the gesture and pulled her close.

They laid there in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the waves crash on the beach outside. Eventually the crickets quieted and the birds had all gone to sleep. The only sound was the water and their beating hearts.

"You're not really mad, are you?"

Jacob lifted his head up off his pillow. "Mad? No, I'm certainly not mad right now. I'm a lot of things at the moment…but angry isn't one of them."

"Hmm…"

"I'm….thinking about things."

"Stop," she commanded quietly, feeling a hint of slight satisfaction as she remembered that he would have to obey her as his imprint.

"I couldn't even….get you to…that's just…embarrassing. And disappointing."

"It's neither. We're…new at this, Jacob."

"I know."

"But not for long," she giggled, poking him in the rib with her fingertip. She showed him a flash of just how _good_ she had felt on the couch earlier.

"Hmm…not bad," he admitted, enjoying the brief feeling that she showed him. "But I can do better."

"Want to prove it?"

"I would."

"Then…tomorrow night. It's a date."

He looked over at her skeptically. "What do you have up your sleeve?"

Renesmee stared up at the ceiling with a look of satisfaction. "Just trust me…and…and you'll thank Alice."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning, Jacob awoke with the sun, only able to think about his dreams the night before. Now that he had in _his book_ successfully been with his imprint at least twice, he was completely obsessed with the idea. His dreams had been full of her the night before as he laid there, pressed against her naked form. All he had dreamt of were all the ways he wanted her. On the beach, under the waterfall….he had even dreamt a raunchy version of them together on the kitchen counter where they ate most of their meals.

He slipped from the bed, kissing his imprint's forehead. His hope was to return before she could even awake. He didn't want to leave her, but his need to phase and speak with his pack mates was dire. Even though their coupling the night before had been nothing short of wonderful, his need to please Renesmee in the most primal way he knew how was burning in his mind.

He looked over his shoulder at the house one last time. Before he could even finish his thought, he hit the ground on all fours. He had no time to waste; the pack's most notorious serial dater pre-imprint - Embry- was patrolling. His shift would end soon, and Jacob wanted to make sure he spoke with him to get some tips before he could phase back.

He caught Embry just in time. His nightly patrol was ending, and he was heading back towards La Push to phase back when Jacob had caught him. It had always fascinated the pack how their mind link worked. Even thousands of miles away, he could still hear Embry like he was standing right next to him.

Although it had taken some prodding, Jacob was eventually able to get Embry to disclose a few tricks and tips that he had discovered with his imprint, Jackie.

_You want my help huh? The big bad wolf wants my help…._

_Just help me, you cocky little jerk. _

_Keep up that snaky little attitude and-_

_Okay! Sorry, sorry….I just…I want her to feel sexy so that she'll…._

_So that she'll what? _Embry prodded. Jacob tried to maintain control of his thoughts, but his longing to see Renesmee again soon gave him away. Flashes of what had happened followed by flashes of his disappointment followed.

_Well, you're right. You'll have to change it up… _Embry chuckled. Jacob rolled his eyes as he watched Embry finish his patrol through his mind link to him.

_Just help me. _Jacob tried unsuccessfully keep the desperation and frustration out of his voice.

Embry laughed again. _Okay okay okay…sorry….you know I just had to tease you man. I'll ease up. _

_Thank you. Now…help me. Just…help me figure out what to do for her to make her…_

_Jake, first of all, you have to relax. You've obviously got the hang of things, now you just need to work on the details. _

_Like what?_

_Are you paying attention to all the things you should be? _Embry asked sincerely.

What do you mean?

Embry's mind showed a flash of embarrassment, but then the useful images suddenly appeared. He tried not to picture his imprint's face so that he could give Jacob a slightly more objective view. Jacob watched, slightly wincing as Embry showed him what worked for him and his imprint, Jackie.

_I don't know if Renesmee would go for that…._

Embry's next suggestion made him squirm in his place sitting in the sand.

_Tell her what you want to do to her. _

_That sounds...weird, _Jacob admitted. He tried imagining saying things he wanted to do to Nessie to her face, and it made him shudder in embarrassment.

_No, don't think about it. You can't think about it or it will sound lame. Just picture what you want to do to her and tell her. Dirty words and all._

_Dirty?_

_Yeah, dirty. Say things to her that you turn you on. If it turns you on, I mean...she's your imprint. If it turns you on it will probably turn her on too. _

_I don't know..._

_Just don't think about it too much. Just say what you feel. If you want to please her you're going to have to try something different. Most girls like talking drity._

_I don't want to talk too dirty..._

_Just try it. Say something kinda dirty like...'I want to feel my cock inside your wet-"_

_Embry! _Jake growled.

Embry chuckled. _I'm just trying to help. You asked, bro. _

They talked for a few more minutes, but soon the pull to return to Renesmee consumed him. Jacob had thanked him sincerely, sworn him to secrecy, and phased back. He felt somewhat ashamed; he was the Alpha of the pack and yet he needed help with something. The proud Alpha wolf inside of him cowered when he had to ask for help and ideas with something that should come so easily. As he loped up the beach in wolf form, he thought about what his friend had said.

Embry did not disappoint. Jacob was blushing by the time he phased back into human form and raced back up the beach towards the house.

Once inside, he paused and waited. The steady breathing and heartbeat coming from the bedroom assured him that she was still asleep. Taking a deep breath, he slipped back into the room just as the sun rose fully above the horizon.

Stares at Renesmee

"Jacob, we need to talk about last night," she finally said, glancing at him sideways. He gave her an apprehensive look, and she could tell that that had come out wrong.

"Okay," he said slowly.

"No no, it's nothing bad," she said quickly. "I just…I know we didn't get to talk much afterwards last night, and I just…I wanted to know something."

"What is it?" he asked, turning to look at her. The late evening sun shone against his tan skin, giving his usually dark eyes a pretty brown glow as the beams hit them. She swallowed loudly, trying to not get caught up in the beautiful man in front of her.

"Ness?" he asked, bringing her back to him. "What is it? Do you feel alright?"

She felt a blush start to rise up in her cheeks and she swallowed once more. "Sometimes I look at you…and I can't believe you're mine. You make me forget to breathe sometimes, Jacob," she finally said. She looked down at her lap, her cheeks reddening even more so.

She heard him sigh a little, then out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand reach over and rest on her jaw. Gently, he pulled her face to look at his. She barely had time to meet his eyes before his lips connected with hers in an innocent, sweet kiss. His lips moved against hers for a brief second before he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

"God if feels so good to finally be able to just…_do that_."

She grinned excitedly. "I'm glad you can just finally…_do that," _she admitted.

He leaned away for a second, shifting himself on the blanket so that he was sitting behind her, with her between his legs. She leaned back against his chest, reveling in the feeling of his warm arms as they wrapped around her.

"What were you going to say?" he asked finally. She sighed against him, squirming down closer to him. The connection she felt with him at that moment was unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life. It felt like a bond had been made between them that could never be broken. She smiled when she realized that it wouldn't.

"I just…I know last night was…different-"

"Wonderful," he interjected. "But go on."

"Well…I was thinking that maybe tonight…"

"I understand."

"You didn't let me finish," she said, turning slightly to look at him. "I want to…try it again."

His black eyebrows raised slightly, and she brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes.

"Wait…really?"

She nodded. "Well, yeah…I mean...I think I get the uh…hang of it now."

Jacob frowned, looking down at the blanket. "Well, there's not much to it," he finally said. "I mean…the mechanics-"

"Jake," she said quickly, placing her hand on his arm. Opening their connection, she briefly showed him her thoughts of frustration from the other night when she wanted to give him the same good feelings he had given her. Jacob's eyes glazed slightly as he watched what she was showing him. Feeling bold, she asked him what he liked.

"What do you mean, _like_? I like…anything that has to do with you and…well…that," he stuttered, laughing awkwardly.

She sighed, obviously frustrated. Picking up her hand, she used it to pull his arms tighter around her.

"What is it?" he asked, noticing her frustration. She frowned out at the sunset as the light bounced off the blue water in front of them.

"Jake, I just don't think it's fair that it was so much about me. I want you to have fun too," she muttered.

Jacob laughed, and her body moved slightly against his chest as he chuckled. "Ness…oh jeez," he said, using one hand to ruffle her curls.

"What? Don't treat me like a child," she warned, turning to look up at him.

Jacob laughed again, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "I'm not, I just…Ness, I guess I forgot to explain a few things. I'll…I'll try to be as non-creepy as I can about this…"

"What in the world are you talking about?" she asked, shaking her head. Jacob giggled in an almost girly fashion, and then composed himself.

"Nessie, remember when you were really little and you wanted me to play house?"

She giggled at the memory of Jacob in the little mini-cottage Esme had constructed for her behind her parents own cottage. He had crammed his large body in that house many times when she was little to play 'tea party'.

"Okay, I'll take that smug little laugh of yours as a yes," he said. "But what I meant was…Do you remember how much fun we had?"

"Well I know I was having fun," she laughed, patting his arm. He growled playfully, and she snickered to herself.

"What I'm trying to convey here is that I only had fun because you were having fun. Understand?"

"Well, yeah, I mean…we were together."

"Exactly. I loved you so much that I didn't care what we were doing. Playing tea party, dressing up, playing with makeup…and oh god, you loved to play with makeup," he groaned.

Renesmee burst into another set of giggles as she remembered the time he had fallen asleep and she had painted his toes with about eight different layers of glittery nail polish. Jacob had had a hell of a time explaining to Rosalie why he needed her best nail polish remover.

"Well…I was having fun because you were having fun…and….I guess what I'm saying is, that's still sort of true."

"Uh…okay," she said slowly, still not sure where he was taking this.

"Renesmee, if you feel…good, while we're doing _that_…then I'll feel good," he finally mumbled. She was glad she wasn't looking at him at that moment, for she could guess that both sets of their cheeks were bright red.

"Really?" she asked matter-of-factly. "So…last night…"

"Was amazing. I mean…after we got…accustomed, and…whatnot," he finally said.

Her mind went back to the night before when he had finally sunk himself into her fully, and she had been in some slight pain but that had ended a few minutes later. What followed next were feelings of complete and sheer ecstasy as he filled her, making her whole body feel warm and content, and it was amazingly erotic.

Jacob's body twitched against her own, and she looked down in shock to discover her hand on his arm. Her head whipped up to look at him. "Did you…did you see that?"

Jacob's eyes were closed and he was biting his lip as if he was in pain. "Mmm hmmm," he groaned, opening his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath as the picture cleared from his mind, and sighed loudly.

"Sorry," she said quietly, looking down at the blanket. Jacob shook his head. "No, you just…surprised me. That was…hot," he said. "Really hot."

"Really?" she asked, turning around in his arms. She looked at him, her eyes raking over his tan chest that peeked out of his wife beater. Licking her lips, she ignored the surge of nervousness that was forming in the pit of her stomach, and got on her knees. Jacob watched with wide, darkening eyes as she quickly shoved his legs together with one hand and jumped onto his lap, gently straddling him. His arms were instantly around her torso as she settled herself on top of him. He shifted nervously, not sure if he was ready for her to be like that on top of him when he was that aroused. His manhood stirred against her, and her eyes darted up to meet his.

"Sorry, I-"

"No," she said quickly. "I wanted to get you…I wanted to make you…" she was trying to be sexy, and was failing miserably. "T-turned on," she finally said.

Jacob was speechless. She had never been so…_forward_. He liked it immensely.

She wants me…he thought to himself with satisfaction. His eyes took in the flawless beauty that was her face. The sunlight shone against her hard yet supple skin, making it shimmer slightly.

"That's what I hoped would happen tonight," she added. She ducked her head, looking at him shyly.

Jacob clenched his teeth in anticipation. "What do you have planned?"

Renesmee stared out at the ocean, narrowing her eyes. "You just be inside, in the bedroom at nine. Let's just say that….I've got lots of catching up to do with you, Jacob."

"Catching up?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. "I'm….tonight I'm making up for lost time. I _hope. _Just…just be ready."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After coming in from the beach, Renesemee had sent Jacob to the white room to get himself ready. She had instructed him to shower and shave and return to her in one hour.

"Wash the important parts, return to me in one hour….minimal clothing required," she chirped saucily, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach as she spoke. She stood in the doorway of the blue bedroom, across the hall from him. He stood in the doorway of the white bedroom, fiddling nervously with the door handle.

"Who are you and what have you done with my prim and proper imprint?" he muttered.

Of course, Renesmee's sharp ears caught every word. She flew to his side, her hand grabbing his arm as she gave him her best coy smile. Leaning towards him, she whispered in his ear.

"She's got lessons to attend to with her stuffy grandfather. I'm her replacement for the evening while that little brat is studying her calculus and conjugating French verbs. I'm going to take care of you tonight. Is that…alright, Jacob?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her words were playful and said in pure jest however…there was something so appealing and…dominant in them that it made him practically salivate. Anticipation surged through his veins. She stared at him, her brown eyes darkening with lust.

Every hair on his body stood straight up. All the blood rushed down to his groin, which was suddenly aching for her attention. He didn't know what had gotten into her, but whatever it was….he was grateful.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee fiddled with the curling iron, wrapping it around a section of her long hair. She gazed at herself in the mirror, trying to settle her nerves. She wanted this - she really did. A night together with Jacob, no interruptions, no threat of pain or awkwardness….it was what they desperately needed. The idea that he would agree to being intimate again so soon surprised her. As she held the hot iron against her hair, she realized with a smoldering satisfaction just how much power she had over Jacob. It also reminded her that tonight was her idea, and there was no backing out now.

Glancing over her robed shoulder, she eyed the black, lacey corset and panties that had been stashed in the bottom of her suitcase. It seemed to glare back at her, as if it was saying _'try me on….I dare you.' _

She bit her lip and tried to focus. Before too long, her shaking hands and trembling fingers had been burnt by the curling iron one too many times.

"This will have to do," she muttered to herself, arranging her curled hair to lie around her neck to one side. Feeling brave, she tested a few of the expensive looking bottles of perfumes and lotions that were on a mirrored try by the sink. When she was satisfied, she knew it was finally time to get dressed. She shimmied, pulled and yanked the lacy ensemble on, trying her best to not look in the mirror. If she looked in the mirror…chances were she would lose her nerve. Somehow she had managed to play the part of the sexually charged vixen she wanted to be; the look on Jacob's face earlier had been priceless. But could she follow through?

Walking into the room, her nervousness was practically tangible. A small lamp in the corner shone a warm, faint light onto the blue bedroom, and she was grateful that at least she would be able to see a little. _She wanted to see the look on his face when she let herself go…_

There were soft footsteps outside of her door. Jacob was shifting from one foot to the other, debating what to do. Should he knock? Just fling the door open and strike a romance novel-esque post? He wasn't sure. He felt stupid for not knowing.

Renesmee tried to make it easy on him. "Come in," she called softly, leaning back against the bed. The corset was tight and made movement difficult, but she wanted to mange a somewhat sexy pose.

Jacob opened the door slowly, poking his head in almost tentatively. He laid eyes open her, raking them up and down her body. She watched as his jaw tightened. "Hey," he grunted, averting his eyes slightly.

"Hey yourself," she responded, her voice just above a whisper. He was wearing an older pair of ripped khaki shorts, and she could see his already hardening member in the corner of her eye as he stood there watching her.

Desire rippled through her as she leaned against the bed, taking him in. Even in the dim light he looked like he belonged somewhere in Europe as a marble statue. The broad planes of his chest were the darkest tan she had ever seen. His biceps were chiseled to absolute perfection, making her want to run her hands up and down them endlessly. She had to bite her lip to keep from pouncing on him suddenly. How could she had ever been nervous? She had never wanted anything more than how much she wanted _him_ right now.

"You uh….ready for me?" he asked tentatively, letting his eyes settled on the black negligee again. The material was itchy and confining, but she would wear it a lot longer if he kept looking at her like that. The _need_ was practically etched onto his features. She cracked a tiny smile.

"Couldn't be more ready if I tried."

He moved forward, the door to the bedroom clicking shut. For a split second, all the noise in the room had been sucked out as if it had disappeared into a black hole. The only sound in the room was his steadily increasing breaths and heartbeat as his eyes settled on her.

The bedroom was hot. The humidity hung in the air as usual, but tonight it felt like the heat was somehow tangible in the room. The only light was from the small lamp in the corner that was on, flooding the hazy room in a warm, subtle glow. Her skin was already sheathed with a thin layer of sweat from just nerves alone. She couldn't imagine how hot she would be later...She bit her lip in anticipation, and he noticed.

Renesmee watched his hand grip the door handle. Her sensitive ears could hear the metal groan in protest against his iron grip. Her stomach twisted nervously as she stood, trying to maintain her sex-kitten stare. She watched his eyes dilate slowly. She wondered for a moment if it was to allow him to see better into he dim light of the small lamp. The other part of her mind dared to hope that it was because he approved of what he saw.

_No hiding_, she thought briefly before licking her glossy lips. The berry-taste seemed to mock her now as her plan was put into action. Would he think it was stupid, her trying to seduce him? She didn't' have time to worry more before his voice pierced the silence.

"Renesmee," he stated, his voice alluring smooth and vulnerable at the same time. She had never heard her voice sound so…lovely. _He used my full name_, she thought, raising one eyebrow.

"Jake, I-"

"-you didn't let me finish," he breathed, his chest rising up and down slightly. She stared across the room, her own fingers gripping the soft comforter.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, wincing.

A smile danced in the corner of his full lips. He stared back at her, his gaze smoldering. "Tonight...you're going to remember for the rest of your life. What I'm going to do..." he cut his own words off, swallowing hard. She clenched the sheets, suddenly feeling quite naked under his gaze despite her flimsy corset and panties.

She stood shakily, trying to swallow her nerves as best she could. Walking slowly towards him, she felt her heart began to slow as she took deep breaths. His scent caught her nose, making her lick her lips in anticipation. He smelled clean and fresh after his shower, but yet so….wild. Jacob had always seemed so tame around her, yet now…now he represented need and abandon.

Renesmee couldn't control it any longer. Using her vampire speed, she crossed the bedroom and had him pinned against the closed door in less than a second. He winced slightly, making her almost regret being so rough with him. Almost. His hands were around her waist in a millisecond, feeling the silky, flimsy fabric of the corset. His breath shook slightly as he glanced down at her breasts peeking out from the material.

"You're so fucking sexy...do you have any idea what I want to do to you?" he growled, his voice low and gravelly.

"I have an idea," she purred, "but I'd rather you show me than just babble about it," she teased, cocking one eyebrow.

In another flash of moment, Jacob grabbed one of her legs and used it as leverage to quickly flip her around so that she was the one pressed with her back against the door. His free hand scraped down her sides as if he was trying to feel all of her at once. He let out another shaky breath as his other hand gripped the back of her thigh, successfully hitching her leg around his waist. Her core came in contact with his already hardening arousal.

It was a warning, but one that she rather welcomed. She pressed her womanly center harder against his groin, inviting him further. She wanted - no, _needed_ to feel him against her.

"You shouldn't tease me..." he groaned, burying his face in her neck. Her silky tendrils caressed his face, encasing him in her scent. "I'm going to...you make me feel so out of control, Renesmee, I-"

"Ooh, big bad wolf are we?" she panted, wrapping one arm around his waist.

"You have no idea how _big_ at the moment," he muttered, running his nose down the side of her cheek. She shuddered in response, biting the side of her lip as he inhaled against her skin.

She ground her hips harder against him, feeling his stiff manhood. He growled deep in his chest and she could feel the vibrations. Her chest was pressed against his, and her peaks instantly hardened through the fabric of her silky negligee.

"Why don't you show me?" she challenged, turning her head to look at him.

"You have no idea how much I want to show you," he bantered back. She smirked, and he gave her a cocky expression back.

_Oh my god, _she thought to herself as she felt her femininity moisten even more. _If just our foreplay makes me this hot...oh god..._

Jacob grabbed her thigh tighter, grinding her against him again and again. The motion made her grab his neck and focus on the part of her that she wanted him to pay attention to the most. She showed him with her gift how she wanted him to touch her...

"You want me to touch your clit?" he whispered against the skin of her ear. The word echoed in her mind as desire ripped through her and left her tingling all over. She gasped as his tongue darted out to flick her sensitive lobe before his hot breath encased it. He ran his lips down the shell of her ear, making her bite her lip harder and shiver. "_Or_ I could lick it. Would you let me do that?"

She was beyond words. "Would you let me do that to you, Nessie? You know I want to," he whispered again, pressing himself flush against her body. They couldn't have gotten closer to each other if they tried.

"Mmmhmmm," she forced herself to mutter, nodding furiously. His words alone nearly sent her body into overdrive. She was thankful for her gift at a moment like this...she could use it to say what her mouth couldn't.

_I want you to touch me all over...touch me anywhere you want to, for that matter. I'm aching for you Jacob, _she communicated through her hand on his neck.

"Ah, god," he groaned, sliding his nose down her cheek. He bit at the skin on her neck, his teeth scraping delightfully against the sensitive skin there. His teeth were sharp, giving her a tiny twinge of pain. Renesmee sucked in a breath, throwing her head back to give him better access. The pressure of his teeth against her neck was absolutely _sinful. _She loved it. Jacob's tongue darted out and tasted the skin he had just bitten, his tongue gliding over the indents his teeth had made, soothing the bite. The intensity of the two different feelings had her practically reeling.

Jacob slid his hand up her stomach, leaning her back against the door. His palm encased one of her breasts, squeezing slightly. She closed her eyes and winced in pleasure. Her eyes flew open as he softly pinched her pointed peak between his thumb and pointer finger, making her gasp again. The corset was practically begging to be ripped off and flung across the room. She bit her lip and moaned.

"Too much?"

"Never."

"Good."

He hitched both of her legs around his waist and picked her up. Renesmee wrapped her legs securely around his torso, immediately missing the contact of his hardness between her thighs. He sat down on the bed, bouncing slightly. She made a purring noise as her center came in contact with his again, the mattress springs enhancing their union.

"Mmmm," she whimpered, closing her eyes again. Jacob used both hands to run up the sides of the silky material, his eyes dropping down to look at her cleavage that that corset provided.

"I love this," he admitted in a raspy voice. "But...as good as it looks on you...I'm thinking it would look even better on the floor."

Renesmee giggled nervously, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "You really like it?"

He nodded his head as she shifted on his lap. "I really like it...I...I never knew things like this existed..."

"Of course they do. They're for girls like me to use to tease guys like you."

"It's working. I want it off. _Now_," he growled, leaning forward. He kissed her on the collar bone for a few seconds, then it turned to sucking. Renesmee mewled as his teeth made another appearance.

"Oh Jake," she whimpered, weaving her hands into his shaggy hair. A low rumble resounded in his chest.

"It makes me hot when you growl at me," she admitted with a nervous laugh, opening her eyes as he kissed and sucked his way up her neck. His hands that were gripping her hips ground her center against his tented shorts.

"I'm going to rip that off if you don't take it off," he mumbled against the skin of her neck. Renesmee giggled, leaning back. He supported her with his hands against her lower back as she leaned away from him.

"How the hell does it come off?" he asked, frowning down at it.

"It's a corset. It opens from the front-" she replied seductively, her slightly shaky hands unbuttoning the first metal hook. It snapped apart, exposing a sliver of her breasts that were pushed together and waiting for him.

She smiled to herself. She could feel Jacob's hot breath against her chest. With each metal hook undone, she could feel his pants growing more urgent.

"Patience," she chided, slowly working her fingers to expose herself to him.

"You're testing mine," he said, his voice cracking slightly. He swallowed, and she watched his Adam's apple bob. She laughed quietly, pausing to lean forward and kiss his neck.

"You're teasing," he whined playfully. Renesmee smiled to herself as his carefully calm facade began to fall away.

She leaned back against his hands, swiveling her hips slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut as he winced in pleasure.

"I know," she said in a low voice. He watched her, his hands gripping her hips as she unhooked the metal clasps. When she was finally exposed to him, he grabbed the garment from her hands and tossed it to the floor. He flipped her over so that he could hover above her on the blue comforter.

"Do you like it when I tease you?" She asked playfully, covering her breasts with her quivering hands. She rubbed herself instinctively, watching his eyes dilate even further.

He nodded, bending down. He nosed one of her hands out of the way so that he could take her hardened tip into his mouth. His tongue swirled around her nipple, making her sigh.

He removed his mouth and she whimpered in protest.

"Jake..."

He only laughed in response.

"These will have to go too," he said somewhat sadly, letting his finger dance along the elastic of her skimpy underwear. He glanced down at the see-through lace, biting his lip in appreciation. Picking up the elastic on her hip, he stretched it out, pulling it taught, and then let it snap against her skin. Renesmee jumped, but before she could protest he had ducked down to make his face level with the area he had just played with.

"Did that hurt?" He teased, picking up the elastic again. She shook her head 'no', lifting herself up on her elbows to look at him.

"N-no," she panted, her hooded eyes watching him. He held the elastic in his fingers again as if he was going to do the same thing. Then, he lowered his head and lightly licked the place where the elastic had stung her skin seconds before. When he blew on the wet area, she threw her head back against the sheets.

"Mmm, Jake...just take them _off _already," she pleaded, turning her head on the bed.

"Who's teasing who now?" He asked, raising on eyebrow. He sat up on his knees, pulling her underwear off. She lifted up her hips so that he could pull them down all the way. Soon, they were discarded just as the corset had been.

"I couldn't think of anything I'd ever want more than you like this...in front of me...all _mine_...and..._and ready_," he said. His voice was between a seductive growl and a purr. Renesmee felt her skin begin to tingle in anticipation of what was to come.

His chest heaved slightly as he stared down at her. His shorts were now impossibly tight, and she ached to see what they were hiding from her view.

"Were you looking at these?" he asked playfully, cocking an eyebrow as he unbuttoned the top button. She nodded, raising herself up on her elbows again. He straddled her leg as he lowered the zipper. Kneeling, he kicked off his shorts.

"I have to say I'm quite thankful that you never wear underwear," she admitted sheepishly, biting her lip again.

Jacob smiled, straddling her leg again. Her eyes lowered slowly, taking in all of his naked beauty. He was so incredibly sculpted and stunning that it almost hurt to look at him for too long. She sucked in a breath as she finally allowed her eyes to drop to the apart of him that was suddenly the most important.

"Like what you see?" He challenged playfully.

Renesmee pursed her lips and stared up at him in the dim light. "Depends," she taunted back.

He growled again and practically tackled her on the bed

"You know you want it," he half groaned, half laughed as he let his manhood brush against her center. She bucked her hips as he settled on top of her, making their intimate parts make full contact.

"Oh fuck," he muttered into the pillow behind her head.

She giggled, grinding her hips upward into his stiff erection. The friction was fantastic.

"Mmmm...I'm so hard, Ness," he moaned before sucking on her earlobe. "Can you feel what you do to me?"

"I'd like to feel it somewhere else," she sighed as he kissed down her neck.

He laughed against her collar bone before lifting himself up. "Ness, I...could I maybe..."

He trailed off, leaving his desire open. She stared up at him, unsure what he meant. "What?"

"I...can I...t-taste you?" he stuttered, his cheeks reddening. He wish more than ever that he had her type of gift and could use it instead of his fumbling words. Sitting up on his knees again, he ran his hands down her body, brushing against her damp center. Nessie gasped.

Sitting back up on her elbows, she blushed. "Um...if you want to."

He stared down at her, his eyes dipping down to where he wanted to be. Her heat seemed to call to him...full of need and want.

"I want to taste you...there," he admitted.

"Then I want you to," she said firmly, reaching her hand out. Her fingertips grazed his manhood, making him twitch.

"Ugh," he groaned, his eyes closing momentarily. She giggled, making them fly open. His hand made contact with her center, causing her laugher to stop. Her head dropped back against the bed as he ran his finger softly over her folds.

"Oh," she sighed, rocking her hips against his hand. He dipped a finger in her, feeling her awaiting arousal.

"Shit." She could tell that the word had tumbled from his lips without conscious thought. His eyes grew even darker if that was possible. His free hand ran down the valley between her breasts, over her creamy stomach, and onto her abdomen. He pressed down gently, increasing the pressure of his opposite hand. Renesmee whimpered as he added another finger.

The feeling of being slightly stretched by his hands was erotic and blissful. It was just enough pressure to keep her on her toes, yet it felt so good that it made her teeter on the edge of control.

"Oh Jake," she groaned, turning her head to the side. His thumb drew lazy circles up and up until he circled her clit. She cried out as he touched her softly. Her hands gripped the fabric beside her, her teeth biting down rather hard on her lip. She tasted her own blood, but she didn't care. Nothing could draw her out of the steamy haze of the blue bedroom in that moment.

His hand continued to pleasure her. Soon her eyes drifted closed and she let herself go. Her body began to shake and quiver in a familiar way and she welcomed it. His touches were heaven; tantalizingly slow and firm, just the right amount of pressure. If he continued, she would-

_Suddenly_...Warmth. Heat. Blindingly _hot_, delicious heat encircled her. Her mouth opened to cry out, but no sound came with it. His thumb stopped moving, but it had been replaced by something else, something better. Something warm grazed her womanhood...something wet...and hungry...The sensation was dizzying as he began to pleasure her with his mouth. His tongue began to run up and down her clit, varying in pressure and speed.

Her chest heaved as her body welcomed his mouth on her. His fingers worked their magic inside while his mouth provided the icing on the cake. Jacob indulged her for a few more seconds before trying something different. He backed away, kissing the inside of her tights, licking anywhere but where she wanted him to be again. Her desire screamed at him; she was aching to be touched again. She had gotten a taste - and she wanted _more_. It was the teasing, but the best kind.

Again and again his tongue and lips made passes around her clit, teasing and taunting her. He would come close, but never touch it. When his fingers spread her open wider, she thought to herself, _this is it. He's going to do it again...finally._

But he continued to touch her everywhere else but there. She mewled in protest, her eyes still squeezed shut in protest. If she looked down and saw him now, teasing her sex she would lose all inhibition. She liked the feeling of being on the very edge.

Her clit screamed in protest as he continued to tease her. His pressed his lips against his hips, her tights, her folds...everywhere but there. Sighing, she let one of her hands weave itself in his black hair and grab. He growled again, making her shudder. There is was again…that wild, uninhibited side. _The animal. _

She managed to find her voice again as he finally let his tongue caress her where she wanted him most. Her cry echoed in the hot bedroom as he gently sucked and played with her using his tongue. Her aroused flesh sang as he moaned in approval, the vibrations pushing her even further.

His tongue pressed against her harder and his fingers matched it's pace. Renesmee went careening over the edge, sucking in a desperate gasp of air as she came.

"Oh...oh...ugh," she groaned as her body shook pleasantly. Her skin tingled as he continued to caress her with his mouth, helping her ride out her pleasure. Instinctively, her hips rocked forward against his mouth, waning to gain all possible gratification from that moment. Her body hummed with pleasure as the waves and tremors of euphoria washed over her. Heaving slightly, her head rolled back as her eyes fluttered open. Leaning up shakily, she made eye contact with Jacob just as he lifted himself up. His tongue darted out and licked his lips. She could feel her abdomen tighten in lust at the sight of him tasting her.

Her body trembled as he laid on the bed next to her, his warm hand running up her stomach. He cupped her breast as she tried to collect herself enough to actually form words.

"That...was..."

"Okay?" he asked hopefully. He asked as if his self worth as a man and Alpha depended on her answer. The one she gave him quickly satisfied him.

"-so good."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. She closed her eyes and pushed her hair away from her face as her breathing began to return to normal.

She couldn't speak again as she nodded. She didn't _want_ to. He laughed throatily, leaving down to press his lips against hers. She kissed him back halfheartedly, still trying to get her head from spinning.

"I'm glad I decided to try something new then."

"I am too."

They laughed breathlessly together. He wiped a bead of sweat away from her brow, leaning in to kiss her again. Her body instantly responded; she wanted him again, and more this time.

"Already?"

"Mmmhmmm," she groaned, moving to straddle him. He laughed, turning to lie on his back. They moved so that she was sitting on top of him, his erection nestled between her thighs in anticipation. His hands snaked their way up her stomach, brushing her long, coppery locks out of the way. Encasing her breasts, his fingertips playfully pinched her nipples. Renesmee felt her back arch in response, sucking in a gasp of air.

"Oh!" she moaned, closing her eyes. He moved his hips against her still wet core to show her how much he wanted her. It was needy and primal, and she understood.

_Now_, she commanded, pressing her fingers against his cheek. He nodded, reaching beside the bed to grab one of the condoms she had placed their earlier. She moved aside to allow him some extra room, and he had it on in record time. Renesmee wasted no time placing herself on his tip. His hardness throbbed against her soft flesh, practically begging her to indulge him.

"You'll have to help me," she admitted sheepishly, letting a strand of hair fall in her eyes. He nodded, sitting up slightly. His manhood bumped against her center, and she closed her eyes. She lowered herself onto him, her body stretching around his size. He exhaled and fought to keep his eyes open as she sank lower and lower on top of him. When she was finally all the way down, they both exhaled in complete bliss.

"Oh my god...you feel so amazing every time," he groaned, his fingertips digging into her sides. She whimpered again, resting her hands on his chiseled abs.

"Jake," she breathed, leaning forward slightly. instinctively her hips shifted slightly, eliciting a sigh of pleasure from both of them. Renesmee rocked slightly on top of him, letting her body accommodate to his. It wasn't like their first time. There was no splitting pain, no uncertainty, no fear. It was tight, but she felt like they were puzzle pieces. When they finally fit together, she felt _whole. _

His fingers dug deeper into the flesh of her hips, pulling her towards him and then pushing away. She began a slow, tantalizing pace on top of him, her eyes closing reverently as she moved. Sounds escaped her lips, but she didn't know or care what any of them meant. She had never felt so connected..._so close _to him ever before.

"Yeah baby I know," he grunted, opening his eyes a sliver to agree with her thought. He had heard her mind, but she didn't care. She grinded her hips against his movements, letting her copper curls fall down in front of her. He reached up, teasing her peaks again, twisting them with his fingers. She rewarded him with little moans and sighs.

"_Shit_ Nessie, I..."

His hands grabbed at her hips again, moving her at a more rapid and frantic pace. He sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut as he helped guide her movements. She opened her eyes briefly, catching flashes of her perfect match beneath her. _How could she have even considered anyone else? How could she be with anyone else like she was right now, with him? _There had never been any other choice for her - that much was clear now.

When she felt like she couldn't move any more, Jacob flipped her over onto her back. He plunged into her, filling her completely. Renesmee sighed as her breaths increased even more. The room was unbearably hot, and Jacobs searing hot skin against hers wasn't helping matters. Sweat coated their skin, but neither one cared. Their warm bodies slid together effortlessly, the heat building between them inside and out.

Jacob pressed his lips to hers; gentle at first, and then with more and more need. His mouth was soon hard and unyielding against hers as he kissed her. She opened her mouth and let herself taste him fully as he continued to thrust into her. The bodies moved together effortlessly, as if they were magnets.

"Oh!" she gasped as he hit a spot within her walls that made her toes curl. _More, more, more,_ she chanted with her gift, pressing against his chest. He obeyed her every wish.

His mouth bent down to nip at her stiff peaks, sucking one nipple into his mouth. The movement was hard and slightly rough, but it sent jolts of pleasure straight to the apex between her thighs. Her heart hammered in her chest as the pleasure continued to build and build...higher and higher he took her until the sensation was almost _unbearable_.

Jacob was in complete bliss. Every wish, every command, every want and need...she told him with her gift. Sometimes it was on purpose, sometimes it wasn't. Either way, he could understand and give her what she wanted. If she was happy and satisfied, then it only increased his enjoyment tenfold. When she wanted it faster, he increased his speed. When he hit a spot she enjoyed, he gave her what she wanted. He brushed his lips across hers as he moved, laying kisses across her cheekbone. Her nails dug into the tan skin on his back, peppering it with scratches. Part of him wished he didn't heal so easily; those would be marks he would happily bear.

Glancing down, he watched himself sink into her body again and again. She watched him watching them together, a satisfied smirk decorating her features.

He glanced up, meeting her lust-ridden gaze. "Do you see what you...do to me?" he gasped, sinking himself to the hilt. She sighed and giggled, completely drunk with bliss.

"I can't...complain," she groaned. The pleasure he gave her increased then as he moved a little faster. Propping himself up on one elbow, he let his hand slide down to move between their bodies and rub her. Renesmee cried out again as another surge of pleasure wracked her limbs. It surged through her so fast it made her head spin and her ears ring.

White flashed in front of her eyes as he moved against her walls. The sensation was almost unbearable it was so immense. Her senses were in overload as she rode her orgasm, her walls contracting around his cock. She clenched around him, wanting him closer, filling her fuller. He obeyed, moving just right so that she was finally pushed over the edge for the second time that night.

"Hold...on..." he grunted, his grip on her waist pulling her body up off the bed. She was high enough that he could push against her one last time, joining her in release. Both of their bodies went slightly ridged as they enjoyed the bliss that their bodies had built up together.

His stiff member pulsed inside of her, pushing against her walls as they both tried to make the feeling last as long as they could.

They collapsed together on top of the blue comforter, both breathless and completely spent. The blue room swirled around them, both dizzy from the heat. Jacob lowered his body on top of hers, his ear pressed against her frantically beating heart. The hummingbird-like thrumming was like a lullaby to his ears.

"I don't think I could move again if I wanted to," she panted once he lifted himself off of her chest. He smiled, leaning down to press his nose to her cheek.

"Then lets do it. Let's never leave this room…" he muttered into her hair. He could smell the scent of sweat and sex against her skin. It gave him such satisfaction to know that he had done _that_ to her. _Twice_, he thought happily.

"Deal. We're never leaving this bedroom. Ever again," she panted, still breathing quite rapidly.

They both laughed heartily at both the ridiculousness and appeal of his idea.

"I really love you," he murmured sweetly, dragging his nose across her cheek until his lips were on hers. He kissed her softly, letting his lips linger there. She brushed his sweaty hair away from his eyes as he pulled back to gaze down at her.

"I really love you too."

"Especially after something like that," he chuckled, resting his cheek against hers. The heat radiated through his tan skin, making her feel warmer everywhere.

She nodded. "_Especially _after something like that."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

See, what did I tell you? You knew they would figure it out eventually, right? ; )

Sorry for the delay - I've really been trying my best with these last few chapters to do things right and the way I've planned them all along. I finished it and had to hurry up and post it before I lost my nerve. Was it hot? I tried for lemony goodness. In this chapter, I made Nessie kind of find her sexual stride. We've had awkwardness, tension and problems from the get-go, and I think eventually she would have just said 'to hell with it' and really let her naughty side show. She's comfortable enough with Jacob now, and vice versa to really let their true needs and feelings show. Thoughts?

Just another reminder - Collin and Estrella's spinoff story 'Bottled Up Lightning' has been posted! Please go check it out!

If you haven't looked at my photo bucket lately, I've posted tons of pics in the Untouchable album - Pics of Isle Esme, Nessie's outfits, and other eye candy as well. It was fun to find it, and I can't wait to share with you all!

I hope you enjoyed - please review! All of your comments about these last few chapters have been wonderfully inspiring to read, so thank you all! We're almost at 600 reviews and I'm still amazed. Hope it was as much fun to read as it was to write ; )


	50. Crazy Love

_I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles_

_And the heavens open every time she smiles_

_And when I come to her that's where I belong_

_Yet I'm running to her like a river's song_

_She give me love, crazy love_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The steamy jungle heat rose over the tree tops, creating a misty haze. The sky had darkened just enough to see the clouds of steam as they rose, giving everything a dewy appearance. It was so hot on the island that it felt like a constant sauna, but neither of its inhabitants seemed to mind.

"Wait up!" Jacob called, running through the dense jungle as quickly as he could. He could just run fast enough to see glimpses of Renesmee's coppery hair as it flew out behind her. She was running just fast enough that he couldn't catch her, and that made him try to even harder to catch up with her. He could hear her footfalls growing slower, and soon he could hear her shallow breaths as she ran. He was getting closer, and closer…

"Slow down!" he commanded, guffawing at himself when he realized his stern commands would only fuel her fire, not make her stop in her tracks. He continued after her, more determined than ever to finally catch her. Jacob could run very fast, even as a human; however, Renesmee's speed was no match for him.

He hadn't even finished his thought when the sound of her footsteps against the damp ground disappeared. Jacob stopped in his tracks, his ears alert, watching, and waiting. He heard nothing but the crickets chirping and the birds singing their last songs of the evening from the tree tops. Not even a slight breeze blew through the muggy jungle. He frowned, looking from side to side. Where had she gone?

A bead of sweat slid down the side of his face, but he ignored it. Sweat wasn't important right now. What was important was finding her. And he _always_ found her.

This was her new game. She would run away from him, taunting him with her vampire speed and ability to move faster than him. Part of the imaginary, unspoken rule was that he had to stay in human form to play this game. The other rule was that he was rewarded when he caught her. So far, he hadn't been rewarded the same way twice.

_I wonder what it'll be today_… he thought with a slight chuckle.

"Something funny?"

He turned around, his body whipping quickly to face in the opposite direction. Nothing was there.

"Can't catch meee…" her sing-song voice rang through the trees, echoing against the dim light of the jungle.

A bird chirping made him jump. He whirled around again as he heard a twig snap somewhere. That had been her mistake…he knew she was close now…

He closed his eyes, listening. He felt like a hunter; primal, full of need. _Only he wasn't hunting for food or vampires…._

A sudden _whoosh_ of air set the hairs on the back of his neck straight up. He sucked in a deep breath, sinking into a defensive stance. Out of nowhere, Renesmee came from the treetops above him, landing on his shoulders. He laughed loudly, playfully trying to jostle his imprint from his shoulders. Her smooth skin felt like satin against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. She was only wearing a thin, strapless cotton dress over her bathing suit, and he his normal pair of cut offs; their skin felt amazing together. Her fresh, flowery scent was mixed with the smell of the island, making her even more intoxicating to him as she wrestled him to the ground.

"Hey, no fair," he whined as she pinned him to the ground. She grunted and winkled her nose at him. A growl left her lips as she narrowed her brown eyes down at him. She knew he always liked it when she growled.

He was quiet for a few moments, taking in the view of his beautiful imprint straddling him on the jungle floor. The condoms he had remembered to bring with them on their hike to the waterfalls that day were practically burning in his pocket. Now that he had had her, he knew he could never get enough of the beautiful woman perched on top of him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked suddenly, her features going from playful to inquisitive.

His lips parted as he watched her watch him. Reaching up, he ran a hand against her silky waves of copper hair and tried not to moan as they fell through his fingers. Her hair always felt so amazing- _she_ always felt so amazing.

"I'm thinking about how you're all mine," he admitted, his voice cracking slightly. She studied his face for a second, her own laced with seriousness. Then, when he thought he had said something wrong, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his.

Her fingertips danced across his hairline, her fingernails lightly scraping his scalp. They moved down to his ears, playing with them slightly. Goosebumps rose up on his arms and chest, as she moved to cup his cheeks while they kissed. Her silky lips moved against his in perfect synch, shaking him to the core. Her kisses always left him speechless…

_I love you, _she communicated. Jacob grinned, his lips exposing his perfect white teeth.

"I know," he answered back meaningfully. Then, he followed with a cocky smirk. She grinned, jumping up into a standing position faster than he could blink.

"What are you smirking at?" she asked, offering him her hand. He took it, pulling himself up off the ground.

"I'm smirking because I think it's hot when my girlfriend acts so….vampire-ish."

Renesmee laughed loudly, holding her stomach. Jacob brushed the leaves off his shorts, watching her delicate features as she processed his compliment.

"You hate vampires, yet you like it when I look 'vampire-ish'?" She asked quickly.

He furrowed his brows, brushing the dirt off his hands. Renesmee was wearing a strapless, bright yellow sundress and he knew he would get it dirty if he touched her. And he _always_ wanted to touch her.

"You're the only one I've seen that makes 'vampire' look hot, believe me," he said, shaking his head.

Renesmee laughed merrily as they walked together towards the waterfalls. The sound rang like bells as it echoed off the leafy canopy above them.

"I make it look hot?"

He nodded, raising one eyebrow at her. "You do…but…I seem to have forgotten how hot you make it. Care to refresh my memory?" he asked, pausing his gait. He gently shoved her back against a palm tree, towering over her small frame. He ran the tip of his finger down the messy braid that was casually thrown over her shoulder that day. Large tendrils were falling out of it, and he had been running his fingers through the silky strands all day. Her hairstyle left her back and shoulders exposed in the skimpy strapless dress and it was making him crazy. The pale, smooth skin that was rarely seen by anyone simply fascinated him; it was begging for his touch.

"Jacob," she growled playfully, shaking her head at him. She stuck her nose into the air slightly. "I want to go swimming today. We'll be here all day if you have anything to say about it."

She shoved past him, ducking under his arm that had held her pinned.

He feigned hurt. "You never seem to complain about my….distractions."

She peeked over her bare shoulder as she walked towards the waterfall. "Who says I won't distract you once we get there?" she asked in a small, coy voice.

He snorted, happily trotting after her.

As they hiked up the narrow mountainside trail through the jungle, he began to contemplate how things had changed between them lately. He was inexplicably and finally…_happy. _

Their time together the night before had brought them even closer than he would have ever thought possible. If he thought it was difficult to be physically separated from her before, then it was going to be nearly impossible now. Every move, every change, every _heartbeat _of hers registered with him somehow. As much as he missed his pack, his father and the rest of La Push, he would have been content to stay on Isle Esme for at least another year with her. It was their own private bubble…their own very private, very erotic little bubble.

However, he realized that soon they would need to go home. His pack needed him, and her family surely missed her. He was shocked that they had given her that much time away from them in the first place. Surely it was taking all of their power to leave them alone for so long, but he knew that it couldn't last forever as much as he wanted it to.

He fumbled with the zipper on his shorts as he watched her peel the little yellow sundress off her body, revealing a familiar looking, pink frilly bathing suit. It was one of the ones she had worn on their first times cliff diving and he remembered it well. The strapless, tightly fitting little suit had nearly driven him mad the first time. It wasn't any better now that he knew what lie _under_ it.

"Like what you see, pup?"

Her sweet, cunning little voice broke his reverie. They had reached the top of the cliff and were standing at the flat space above the waterfall where they usually jumped.

"Maybe," he quipped, avoiding her cocky gaze. She snorted to herself, neatly folding up her dress and dropping it on the ground. Glancing over her shoulder, she winked at him as she stepped up to the edge. He shook his head at her as she laughed at him.

The playful banter between them was normal; it was almost a tradition. They would prod and tease each other in jest before it would turn slightly…erotic in nature.

They would tease and challenge and lightly berate each other for doing so before it turned different. _Pleasantly_ different.

"C'mon, jump with me," she begged, reaching back for his hand. He hopped the rest of the way out of his boxers before following her hand in hand to the edge of the cliff.

"Scared?" he asked, flashing his teeth at her. She grinned nervously back.

"Of course not. Vampire, remember?"

He nodded knowingly, squeezing her hand. "Half vampire, babe," he said pointedly, bumping his forehead gently against hers. She shook her head and glanced down at the churning water below. The damp mist from the falls rose up into the humid air, coating their skin as they stood there.

"What?" he asked, looking at her quizzical expression.

"Sometimes this doesn't feel real," she admitted, squeezing his hand back.

He nodded. "I know what you mean."

She closed her eyes for a second, showing him a series of pictures with her connection. _Running through the forest at top speed…arriving on Isle Esme, their own private oasis…riding on his back while he was in wolf form…_it all felt pleasant, but not real. It felt like a movie to her.

"Do I feel real?" he asked, looking down at her. He watched as she glanced down at their interlocked hands. After a few seconds, she looked back up into his eyes.

"Sometimes you're the only thing that does feel real to me," she admitted softly. He gazed down into her deep brown eyes, shocked for a moment to actually see so much of Bella staring back at him. He blinked a few times, taking in all the little details of her exquisite features that reminded him so much of the girl he had once loved.

Her soft jaw line…her big, endearing brown eyes….the way her eyebrows pushed together when she was confused or thinking about something….the way she bit her lip when she was unsure what to say next…it was all so Bella. His heart felt lighter as he realized that it was actually a relief to see some of Bella in her daughter's features. It gave him comfort to know that he could love something so much that had so much of his former best friend.

_I got the best parts of Bella…and then some_, he realized as he watched her.

"So are we going to jump, or not?" she questioned, raising one of her coppery eyebrows.

He grinned for what felt like the millionth time that day. He suspected his face would start to hurt soon from doing so much laughing and smiling, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was her, and them, and being there together.

Bending down slightly, he brushed his lips against hers. It was quick and soft at first, but he couldn't resist pressing his mouth against hers firmer the second time. He lingered there, feeling her respond to him. Would he ever tire of feeling her smooth, silky mouth against his? He didn't think so…how could he when she always kissed him back so willingly? Jacob's mind flashed back to a time that felt so far away that it almost didn't feel real - that part of his life felt like a movie.

He wasn't on a cliff, he was on a cold mountainside, waiting for an army of vampires to come and attack. And it wasn't his Nessie in his arms…it was Bella. His mind remembered the feeling of her lips against his, even if the memory was faint. He remembered suddenly with vivid recall how she had resisted his kiss; she had even pushed him away with disgust. The look in her eyes hadn't been of love and longing…it had been of regret and shame.

"What are you thinking about?"

Renesmee's soft, inquisitive voice cut through his thoughts as he leaned his forehead against hers. He lowered his face further, pressing his cheek against hers as they stood at the top of the waterfall.

"How lucky I am."

"Is that all?" she joked.

Jacob chuckled softly, taking his free hand and running the back of it down her opposite cheek.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course."

He sighed, pausing to think of how to phrase his answer. "I was thinking how lucky…and happy…I am that…that when I kiss you…you kiss me back."

Renesmee's eyes reflected her understanding. Pressing her hand against his cheek, she showed him she understood.

_Is this about Bella? _She asked, showing him a flash of her mother's face. He nodded, smiling sadly.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I understand it all now. And…and I'm thankful that it…that things…didn't go how I wanted back then. Then I wouldn't have you."

Her eyes searched his for a brief second, and he almost thought she was going to be hurt by his words.

"I'll always kiss you back because…because I love you, and…and you're my other half. You were made for me," she responded confidently, her voice soft yet firm. "I'm your imprint."

He smiled triumphantly, pulling his head back to look at her. "You finally get it."

"It's hard not to when I think about it."

He nodded, responding with a simple, "Yup."

"I'll always kiss you back, Jacob. Always," she answered sweetly, punching him lightly on the chest. He laughed, shaking his head at her. They both peeked over the side of the waterfall, and he could feel her nerves.

"Do you want me to jump with you?"

She nodded, gripping his hand in hers. "Always."

x-x-x-x-x-x

They dove from the cliffs several times, each time together. They would always come up from the water laughing and sputtering from trying to dunk each other in the freshwater of the lagoon.

As they played, he continued to think about how lucky his life had suddenly become.

_Cheesy sayings can be right…everything had to fall apart to come back together, _he thought with a slight grimace as Renesmee hoisted herself up out of the water. He watched as she wrung out her long braid, pulling the tie from it. The pink bathing suit she wore clung to her in all the right places. Her fingers began to comb through her long, coppery curls and he watched with sheer fascination from the cool water.

He continued to think about how lucky he truly was as he laughed and played with his imprint in the water that day. He had his best friend, but he also had a companion in every possible way; he had truly found his mate. And most importantly, they were happy. He hadn't thought true happiness had been possible for him.

And…he didn't have to beg her for it. Sure, things had been rocky for them for awhile, but he would have taken that tenfold if he realized how easy loving Renesmee as a mate would have been. It hadn't been hard and trying like his failed attempt at loving Bella had been. She had pushed him away and kept him at arm's length for good; he had lost the battle. But with Nessie…he couldn't help but feel like he had won.

The dark times in his life were truly over. They were there, forever, and nothing would ever tear them apart.

He lifted himself out of the water, dripping all over the mossy rocks that lined the lagoon. She smiled brightly at him as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"You came back to me…you've been thinking about something really hard all day," she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pressed his forehead to hers, chuckling.

"I told you…I just can't believe how happy I am…finally."

"Believe it," she muttered before kissing him sweetly.

She broke their kiss, giving him her best wanton look as she took his hand. He could instantly feel his body start to respond to that look - it was a look that said she wanted something. And, based on the past, it was something he was usually more than willing to give her.

He followed her hand-in-hand around the jagged rocks lining the lagoon towards the small cave that was hidden there. The last time they were there they had merely teased one another, driving him further insane with need. She glanced over her shoulder at him as she led him back further. He assumed she wouldn't be teasing him today.

Once inside, she turned to look at him, her bottom lip finding solace between her teeth. Her large brown eyes looked up at him, both expectant and full of love.

"Did you need something?" he asked coyly. She nodded, leaning back against the rocky wall. It was damp with the spray from the nearby waterfall that blocked them from view. Renesmee jutted her hips out and she leaned back, still silent.

"What did you want?" he continued to tease her.

She smiled and shook her head at him, a devilish grin appearing on her face.

"You look like you want to say something, but…but you just can't. Do you want something?" he repeated, glad for the chance to finally be the one to tease her. Her eyes raked down his body and rested on his naked arousal that was starting to harden. A light sheen of sweat and mist from the waterfall covered his tan skin, making him look like a wild Adonis. He was naked and hers for the taking. He pretended to be bashful as he glanced down at himself. He let his eyes flick back up to meet hers. Her expression told him that she had seen the proof of his longing for her. His erection began to ache for her touch. Happiness surged through him as he met her approving gaze.

"Do _you_ like something you see?"

Renesmee let a little giggle out before standing up straight. She moved a little closer to him, still silent. Her fingertips ran up his arms ever so softly. She let her nails scrape gently against his chest and collar bone, biting her lip again. He hissed slightly when she scraped his nipples with her thumbnails, making her raise one eyebrow. She traced her fingertips down his abs, taking in the feeling of his smooth yet hard body. He bit back a chuckle as her hand began dipping slightly lower to trace the line of 'V' shaped muscles of his abdomen. Jacob's eyes drifted closed, enjoying the sheer wondrousness of her touching him. Just when he thought she was going to relent and finally wrap her hands around his now aching cock, her movements stopped.

His eyes opened just as she placed her hands on his cheeks. He sucked in a breath as he was hit with a slew of images and sounds. It was like the hottest porno flick he had ever _seen_; thoughts and pictures in his mind that made his dick twitch and his hands grab her hips. These were no strangers in her mind; it was _them. _It took him a second to realize that she was showing him images and memories from _their_ time together. He gasped in lust as he tried to keep from passing out. He had never gotten so turned on so quickly in his life. His head began to spin as all of the blood left his brain to rush downwards in his body and practically make him reel. Gasping for another breath, his dick began to throb as it now stood at full attention as she continued to show him more and more.

_Her on top, riding him on the blue bed….grabbing the headboard as she clenched herself around him…the feeling of his hands on her breasts, squeezing her pink tips gently, then harder….scraping him with her teeth…gripping his hardness in her hands….Pretty soon all he could see was flashes of tan skin and creamy skin as they rolled together on the bed, a mess of pants and groans…._

"Stop…stop…oh god, I'm….I'm gonna…"

She dropped her hands to her sides, looking slightly guilty. Her guilt only lasted a split second; Jacob pinned her against the wall milliseconds later, his mouth attacking hers.

His tongue gently probed her mouth, seeking entrance. She allowed it, suddenly greedy to taste him in every capacity possible. What she felt was thirst, but a different kind than she was used to. She thirsted for _him_.

He hitched one of her legs around his hip, bringing his body even closer to him. Her body sang with need for him. It was too much to bear to have a man this beautiful in front of her and to not be able to have him the way she craved. Giving him a sly grin, she pulled her lips away from his long enough to pull the condom out of her bathing suit top and hold it up in front of his face.

He laughed loudly, his mouth dropping open. "Did you steal that from my pocket?"

She nodded.

"Sneaky little vampire," he replied, his voice low and gravelly. She giggled, rolling her eyes at him. Pulling gently, she made sure his lips were firmly planted against hers once again. He laughed against her mouth, shaking his head at her. After a few more minutes, he picked up her other leg, hitching it around his waist. He balanced with her back against the rocky wall, holding her steady.

"Jake," she groaned as he firmly gripped her hips. His large hands grasped firmly at the skin there, making her body tingle with the promise of what was to come. He ground his aroused flesh against her center, rubbing against the material of her bathing suit. They kissed hungrily for a few minutes, both teasing and torturing each other before his voice broke the silence.

"I can't help but notice you're not naked."

"I am not," she panted matter of factly. He nipped at her shoulder, trying not to laugh at their playful banter.

"Can we possibly change this?"

"If you really _want_ to…" she replied, just as Jacob took the tie of her bikini top in his teeth. With a growl and a pull, he ripped it back from her body, the top falling down.

"I shouldn't be the only one naked…."

"Bad things happen when we get naked together Jake," she teased, lightly biting his lower lip. He grinned, feeling himself twitch with his own need for her.

"I'm counting on it."

He had his pants off and the condom rolled on himself almost as fast as she could have done it - which was fast. He entered her swiftly, leaving no time for hesitation.

Renesmee let her head fall back against the rocky wall of the cave, letting a satisfied sigh escape her lips as Jacob thrust against her, making her groan in appreciation. He leaned forward, showering her neck with lingering, passion-filled kisses. He worshiped her.

Resting his head against her shoulder, she carefully dragged her top row of teeth against his skin, not applying enough pressure to hurt him, but claiming him as hers. As he moved, she stared out at the waterfall in a daze. The water crashed down on the rocks around them, echoing pleasantly in the tiny cave where they were. The beauty of their surroundings mixed with the love and passion she felt for the man that was now hers in every single possible way was…._intoxicating. _

Jacob balanced her back against the rocky wall as he continued his thrusts. They were gentle but had a single purpose; to bring her closer and closer to his goal. He loved it when Nessie came. She would grab his biceps and the back of his neck and he would get a front row seat to the slew of _hot-as-hell _pictures, thoughts, and stream of conscious that spewed through her connection as she was pushed into bliss. He loved it; he ached to see her do that again. When she came for him the other night, he had become completely hard and turned on again just from the images in her mind.

Reaching forward, he ran his hand down her smooth chest, cupping her breast as it moved in time with his body. Her heels dug into his lower back as he leaned forward to press his lips to her neck. She mewled in euphoric response as he sucked on the sensitive skin. The flat part of his tongue pressed against the vein in her neck, making her sigh. Moving his way back, he nuzzled her being her ear as his fingertips lightly pinched the nipple in his hand. He smiled into her hair as a ripple of pleasure rolled down her body, making her eyes roll back into her head for a split second.

"You like that?" he said to her, his voice just above a low growl. She gave her own feminine growl back before clenching her center tighter. Jacob's mouth dropped open and his eyes grew even darker as he pushed them both closer and closer to the edge.

"Oh, Jacob," she half whispered, half purred as he sped up his movements. Small bits and pieces of the rocky wall cracked and fell to the floor from the sheer force of her body against it. He worried for a split second that he was hurting her, but the blissful sounds coming from his imprint suggested quite the opposite.

"Mmm, harder," she suddenly moaned, biting down on her lip. He frowned slightly, still worried that he was going to hurt her if he really let go. Sensing his flash of insecurity, she groaned and pressed her fingertips to his collar bone.

_This is how it feels…. _She communicated, just before allowing him to share her satisfaction at that moment. It was like a mirror; she loved to show him the way he made her feel at times like this. He panted in surprise and lust before hardening his movements. Renesmee moaned in pleasure, giving him her best wanton look of satisfaction. He was glad for his strength and endurance; they managed to keep up their heightened pace for several more minutes, both of them reveling in their discovery. They could make love slow and tenderly, yet also hard, lustful, and _wild_. When she came, he was soon after.

"Mmmhm…You are….so good at making me…"

"Un-hinged?" she panted as he lowered her to the ground. Her bare feet touched the cool rock floor of the cave, a smile dancing on her lips. With her eyes still closed, she leaned her forehead against his. Grabbing his sweaty cheeks, she placed a tender, lingering kiss on his lips.

_I love to make you wild…you're my wild wolfman,… _she teased with her hand. Jacob smiled, still slightly breathless from their cave adventure.

"I will never look at this place again and think 'tea party', he chuckled, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand.

"Never," she agreed, intertwining his hands with hers. "Now swim with me," she begged. "I'm _so_ hot," she giggled, holding the back of her hand to her pink forehead.

"Right you are," he agreed, giving her a cocky grin.

Afterwards, he could barely keep himself from smiling like an idiot. They walked home much slower than they had come, both of them exchanging slightly embarrassed albeit satisfied glances.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, watching as she wrung out her hair again as she walked. She licked her lips and grinned, looking somewhat nervous.

"We…like…did it _outside_," she giggled, her cheeks turning pink.

He shrugged. "Haven't you ever….well…"

"Did I know people did it outside? Well…yeah…"

There was a pregnant pause. He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"This one time in Denali I…sorta caught….Kate and Garrett…they were down in this ravine…eh," she winced, shaking her head as if to clear the thought.

Jacob nodded again good naturedly, feeling his own blush start to rise in his cheeks.

"Did you…watch?" he asked expectantly.

"Ew!" she shrieked, slapping his arm. They both cackled at her reaction, their laughs loud in the quiet jungle. "I mean….well…yeah, a little," she finally admitted with a sly grin. Jacob rolled his eyes at her.

"Perv."

"You asked!"

"I'm just kidding….unfortunately, I've seen all my friends doing it….well, except for Quil. Eh…" he winced. "I've seen way more than I've ever wanted to see."

"I can imagine."

They walked in silence for awhile, hand in hand. The jungle was quiet the day and very peaceful. Finally, he spoke.

"So you didn't mind….being…outside?"

She thought a moment. It had been interesting, that was for sure. Out in the open, with no bed, no door for privacy…but, on the other hand, it had been fun too. It was something completely new and forbidden in her mind which appealed to her entirely.

"I didn't mind it….no," she replied.

"Well….we might have to do it outside again once…once we go home."

Renesmee stopped suddenly, her bare feet digging into the ground. "Oh," she said, frowning slightly. "Home…I…I guess I kinda…forgot about that. Things will be different when we go home."

He nodded, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, they will. A lot different. We're going to have your parents and entire family around us. No more alone time," he said pointedly, giving her a stern gaze

Renesmee's face dropped as she contemplated what he was saying. "That is going to be so weird to go from…from this, to…to home," she muttered, shaking her head. "What are we going to _do_?"

He knew what she was talking about. The need to be close to her was so physically overwhelming sometimes that he wasn't sure he would make it. How would he go back to living separately from her again? There was no way that Edward would let him spend nights in the cottage…he wasn't even going to try that one.

"I don't know…we'll think of something I guess…You're really not...opposed to…doing it outside?"

She shrugged, glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of the waterfall. "No, not particularly. I, erm….enjoy myself immensely anywhere we are. I think that's a safe assumption to make at this point, Jacob."

He shook his head to himself as the realization that they would have to eventually go home set in. He hadn't even considered being physically separated from Renesmee, especially after this trip.

"Well…we can always…sneak away," she murmured, grabbing his hand. She intertwined his long fingers with hers, drawing him closer to her. He rested his chin on top of her head, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I can't be away from you, Jake. I just can't…not after…"

"I know," he finished her sentence.

She sighed against his chest, rubbing her lips together. She could still taste him on her tongue. Just the mere _thought_ of him now was enough to make her body react and her mind go wild. What was she going to do when they got home? Her mother couldn't shield her forever. Her father would go crazy - she would have to learn to control herself.

When they arrived back at the house she trudged inside, visibly upset. Jacob watched her as she moped sadly through the glass doors from the beach.

"Do you want to maybe take a nap with me?" he suggested, motioning towards the hammock in the back. She nodded, glancing up at the house.

"Sure. Let me change out of these wet clothes first."

He nodded, heading over to where the hammock was. Renesmee made her way inside to the blue room that they now shared. Her eyes lingered on the bed sheets all tousled and mussed, reminding her of the newfound part of her relationship with Jacob. She smirked to herself as she reached for her phone to check it. She hadn't bothered to look at it for several days, and was surprised to see several missed calls from her mother.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" she asked as soon as Bella picked up.

"Renesmee," Bella breathed happily. She felt goose bumps rise up on her skin as her mother said her name. It rolled off of Bella's tongue almost as easily as it did Jacob's. She realized how much she had missed her.

"Is everything all right?" she asked hurriedly.

Bella laughed, the smooth, angelic tones of her voice rolling through the phone. "Of course! I just missed you, and…um…well, I guess I just missed you," Bella stuttered, making Renesmee smile at her mother's endearing trait.

"I….I miss you too, Mom. Is everything really alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, no, don't worry," Bella replied. Renesmee heard the similar even, smooth tones of another familiar voice. "Someone else wants to say hello."

"Renesmee," her father's voice rung through the telephone. She felt her chest tighten slightly at the sound of her Daddy's voice.

"Dad," she breathed, her chest tightening more. "I miss you guys so much….I…"

"Has Isle Esme been good to you?" Edward asked.

"Yeah Dad, I'm…I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye before we left…"

There was a silence on the phone. "Is Jacob behaving himself?"

"Dad," she chided him softly, her eyes drifting towards the beach where she knew Jacob was waiting for her. She was thankful that her father couldn't hear her thoughts over the phone. "Of course he is….he's….he's perfect."

She thought she caught her father lightly groaning.

"I trust you'll be returning home soon?" he asked hopefully, although she could hear the slight cringe in his voice.

She nodded. "Yes…we were…just talking about that today."

Edward chuckled softly. "Time gets away from you there…I know," he said wistfully. She laughed.

"Yes, yes it does. We'll be home soon…so don't worry about me. Or Jacob. But…Dad?"

"Yes?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, reminding herself that being an adult meant doing things she wouldn't always want to do.

"Dad things are…a bit different now."

"I supposed so. We'll need to talk when we get home."

Renesmee swallowed again, her eyes widening slightly. Why did her father have to be a mind-reading vampire? Why couldn't he just be a normal, oblivious father like the ones in Alice's romantic comedies? Her hands shook slightly as she tucked her cell phone back into her suitcase. She couldn't help but feel like going home would mean giving up her newfound freedom with Jacob. Selfishly, she realized that was the last thing she wanted to do.

She slipped outside, noticing that it was almost sunset. The palm fronds swayed gently in the breeze as she made her way over to the hammock where Jacob was. Smiling, she realized his arm was thrown over his face as he snored lightly, swaying in time with the palms above him. He almost looked too peaceful to disturb.

"Hey," he groaned when she climbed into the hammock with him.

"Hey," she muttered back.

"You hungry?"

"Does that mean you want me to cook for you?" She asked, picking up his hand. She began to play with his fingers, twisting them in her own.

"Maybe," he mumbled sleepily, a smile starting in the corners of his mouth. He chuckled, cracking one eye open to look at her.

"We have to go home soon Jake," she said finally, pressing her lips together.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, shaking his head. "No, never."

"I mean it," she laughed, rolling over onto his stomach. She rested her chin on his chest, staring at him intently. "My family misses me. I know your pack misses you."

"I know," he replied quietly, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "I like being here with you so much though….too much. I liked pretending we're stranded her….alone…forever…nothing but the two of us…"

She smiled as the look on his face turned slightly lust-ridden. She always got shivers down her back when she realized what his true intentions were. His dark eyes would dilate and smolder, and his jaw would open slightly. He would sometimes growl deep in his chest, just loud enough so that her sensitive ears could hear.

"Come inside. I'll take a shower, and then I'll make us something to eat," she bargained. The sweat and grime from the day was starting to take it's toll on her, and she wanted to rinse off before tonight. She wasn't sure that anything would happen…. _but if the past few nights were any indication…_

He followed her into the house and into the blue bedroom. "Let me know when you're out," he called after her as she stepped into the bathroom. She nodded, leaving the door halfway open on purpose. Teasing Jacob these days was half of the fun. She usually had him so worked up before their trysts that by the time they finally touched each other they were both ready to explode.

_Wild….just the way I like him, _she though to herself as she peeled off her clothes. Piece by piece they fell to the floor, until finally she was climbing into the cool shower. Taking her time, she began to soap her body slowly, enjoying the feel of the cool water against her grimy, slightly sun burnt skin. The only sunlight that could give her a tinge of a burn was the sun on Isle Esme - it was closer to the equator than she was used to, and she usually left with somewhat of a tan.

_Not tan like Jake, _she thought, leaning her forehead against the tile. She sighed happily and began to run a washcloth over her skin, soaping it up.

Renesmee jumped when she heard another heartbeat in the room besides hers. Whipping her head to the side, she gasped in surprise to see Jacob standing in the doorway, an amused expression on his face.

Her look of surprise quickly faded. "What are you doing in here?"

"Something about a pretty view that I can't resist," he said casually, strolling into the room. She felt her cheeks flush; Jacob had never seen her in the shower before. This was new. Instantly her body tightened in anticipation of what was to come.

"Is that so?" she flirted back, turning to the side. She made sure that the washcloth and her arm covered her from his view…she did enjoy teasing him.

He nodded, his pink tongue slipping out to lick his lips.

"Can I watch?" he asked hopefully, jutting his chin out slightly. Renesmee giggled, nodding shyly. She wasn't sure why the idea of Jacob watching her made her so nervous; he had seen her quite naked several times in the past few days, and it had never bothered her then. He had put on shorts since their cliff diving and episode in the cave, and they were starting to show what his real plan was. There was something so naughty and sexy about seeing his hardness forming in his khakis that drove her insane.

"It's a free country, I suppose," she replied, turning to the side so that he could catch a glimpse of her bare ass through the shower glass.

A wicked smile made her lips turn up as she heard him suck in a shallow breath of air. Yes, he was definitely enjoying this.

Jacob sat down on the edge of the empty bathtub across the room, leaning forward slightly to hide the tent growing in his khaki shorts.

He watched as she ran a soapy hand down her side, the bubbles trailing down her slender thighs. Steam billowed out around the top of the doors, making it somewhat hard to see just what she was doing. However, he could see enough to drive himself absolutely crazy with need. He heard her sigh as she began rubbing a coconut scented shampoo into her scalp, her long hair suddenly pulled away from her body. Her fingers worked it into a lather, the enticing smell flooding his nostrils even from across the large bathroom. He shifted in his seat, licking his lips again. He felt like he was in his basement again, watching a dirty movie through the squiggles late at night.

Renesmee continued to work the lather in her hair, her breasts moving each time she raised her arms up. He could just see her side profile, but what a profile it was. Everything about her appealed to him; her creamy skin, her soft breasts, her rounded bottom….it was all too much.

When she finally turned to the side to finish rinsing her shampoo, one of her pink nipples brushed against the glass, coming into full view. He rose to his feet against his will, his hand flying up to the button on his khaki shorts.

Renesmee caught his stare, another playful smile appearing. "Did you need something?" she teased, pulling her long, coppery locks around to hang over one side of her. She faced him full on, opening the door slightly. Steam came flooding out, but it was also mixed with the smell of her coconut shampoo and….

_Holy shit, she's enjoying teasing me as much as I'm enjoying it, _he realized. Her aroused scent hit him like a brick wall, and he practically yanked his pants the rest of the way off.

"I'm um…in need of a shower too, you see," he said, letting his shorts fall to his feet. Renesmee's eyes instantly dropped to the area between his legs, her eyes changing. He smiled to himself with satisfaction as he realized she was just as hungry for him as he was her. The smell in the air proved it.

"Yes?" she said coyly.

"Yes, well…I have trouble reaching several…areas, and um…I thought maybe you could help," he said shyly, walking slowly towards the shower. Renesmee giggled, cocking her head to the side. They both laughed at his cheesy line, but she played along anyway.

"Really?" she challenged.

He felt his arousal twitch at her confident behavior. "Yeah….. and I thought maybe…I could return the _favor_," he laughed.

_God I sound like a moron when I try to talk dirty, _he laughed to himself. He tried his best to ignore his arousal protruding from his body like an overexcited teenager. _Get control, _he coached himself. He hadn't had nearly as much trouble as he thought he would when it came to controlling himself with Renesmee. The idea of hurting her any more than he already had their first time didn't exactly appeal to him.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked him, her melodic voice echoing against the tiles of the shower. He stepped inside, blinking a few times in the steam. When his vision adjusted, he saw his imprint leaning against the tiles in the corner, her wet curls hanging down in front of her. She rested on her hip, her shoulder against the wall as she raked her eyes up and down him once more.

"You keep looking at me like…I'm something to eat," he chuckled, stepping under the hot jets of water. She smiled, averting her eyes from his naked form.

"I could say a lot of things right now…"

"But you won't," he laughed, reaching over to her. His hands found her hips and pulled her toward him. Pretty soon they were standing together under the hot sprays of water, completely drenched.

"I think this was one of your best ideas yet," she breathed, running her hands down his slick chest. He stared down at her, taking in the view of his naked imprint covered in soapy bubbles….he nearly lost it when she leaned slowly forward, placing a long, slow kiss on his chest.

_Fuck this girl is incredible…._

Jacob closed his eyes, completely content at the way her lips felt, dragging across his skin. She varied her movements from peppering them sparingly across his chest to more lingering. He liked those…she would suck lightly, letting her tongue reach out and lick his wet skin.

Leaning his head back, he reveled in the feeling of her small mouth against his dripping skin. The sensation of the droplets of water sliding down his body mixed with the feeling of his imprint's lips was something he never wanted to forget.

Renesmee kissed down his chest, pausing to flick her tongue over his nipple. He hissed in response, digging his head into the tiles harder. The soft thud echoed in the shower, and she laughed wickedly before making her way down. He bit his lip as she ran her tongue down the concave center of his stomach, where his ab muscles started. The area was hard and muscular, yet she licked at it as if it was delicious. He panted as she placed a lingering kiss just below his navel, not realizing what she had in mind.

When he heard her sink to her knees in front of him and felt her hot breath on his abdomen, his eyes flew open. He looked down, both horrified and incredibly aroused at the sight before him.

"Ness…?"

"What?" she asked, reaching up innocently. Her hand closed around his length, squeezing it slightly. The expression on her face was the most innocent, pure thing he could imagine. He wasn't sure if it should turn him on or make him bolt from the shower. His jaw dropped open as he fought to remain in control of the situation and not let his cock do all of the thinking for him.

"What are you…what are you _doing_?"

Renesmee smiled, running her slick hand up and down his shaft once. He sucked in a breath of steamy air and almost doubled over at the increase in pleasure as her hand stroked him. "I think you _know_ what I'm doing…but do you know what I _want_ to do?"

Jacob gulped at he tried to think with his brain and _not_ his dick. Her hand tightened around the base of him, practically making him cross eyed.

"I um…I…Shit, what was I going to say?"

"I think if you just _relax_…"

"Wait, Ness," he coaxed, peeling her hand off of him. He pulled her up gently to stand in front of him again.

"What is it?" she asked. The obvious hurt and disappointment was shown on her features.

"I….I just…d-don't think you should do that."

"Jake," she gasped slightly, her mouth falling open. A look of hurt crossed her face, and he instantly regretted stopping her. _Why had he stopped her again? _His aching hard on protested every second that her hand wasn't on him. He fought to think clearly.

"You think I would…hurt you?"

"No! No, not at all, I…..I just don't want you to do that."

"Why?"

He reached up, brushing a wet curl from her hair as the water streamed down on them. "You just don't have to. I don't want to….I don't want you to think you have to…"

"I want to," Renesmee insisted. "I really do."

He frowned slightly, glancing at her mouth without thinking. How he had dreamt about this in his dirtiest dreams lately…_her pink lips around him, her tongue caressing….stop!_

"You don't have to do that. That's not…I mean I don't…you don't have to."

Renesmee sighed exasperatedly. "Jake, what makes you think I don't?"

He gaped at her. "You want to?"

"Of course I do. I want to…try everything with you. We're going to have forever, and….I want to be close to you and…"

"Nessie….doing that won't…I mean…shit…"

"Jake," Renesmee said, her brown eyes narrowing at him, "_She_ got to do it."

Jacob's face turned deep scarlet at the mention of his short tryst with Carly back at school. She had gone down on him and as torturous as it had been for the sheer fact that it wasn't Ness….the idea of the act still interested him. The idea of Renesmee doing that to him was downright _appealing_.

"Ness….that meant nothing. _She_ meant nothing."

"But I do mean something, right?"

"The world," he answered firmly, brushing a few droplets of water from her face. He leaned forward and kissed her mouth. It was long and lingering, just like their kiss in the cave. She didn't have to do that to him to make him feel complete sexually - he already did.

"I want to…I want to do it to make you feel….good," she whispered, kissing the side of his cheek. She moved her lips across his jaw line, licking lightly at the bottom of his ear lobe. His cock twitched at the feeling of her cool tongue on his skin.

"I could make you feel really good….as good as I felt…when you…did that to me," she said between kisses. Her hand found it's way to his cheek. Before he knew it, she showed him a flash of something from her mind…_her, looking down as his mouth worked it's magic on her. Showing him the way his tongue felt when it flicked against her….._Jacob sucked in another breath to steady himself. With a quiet giggle, she dropped her hand. She made her way to his lips again. Placing another deep kiss on his mouth, she swiped her tongue across his bottom lip suggestively. Taking his hand, she gulped down her nervousness before placing his fingertip at her mouth.

"What….oh god," he moaned, his jaw dropping slightly as she took his finger in her mouth and sucked lightly. He could see the tip of her tongue as she let his fingertip slide from her lips, licking lightly. A ripple of lust shot down his spine, making his entire lower half tingle in anticipation. He lost all conscious thought.

"Will you let me….?"

"O-kay," he breathed in a high, somewhat squeaky voice.

He watched with wide eyes as Renesmee lowered herself to her knees on the tile floor in front of him. He didn't think he would enjoy this so much….but he was. His breath hitched in his throat as she grasped him in her smooth hand. Once she was settled on her knees with his erection in her grasp, she allowed her eyes to flick up to meet his.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded, letting herself tentatively pull him to her mouth to taste him.

One touch. One stroke, one _movement_ of her tongue against him, and his head fell back against the steamy tiles.

"Oh….fuck," he growled, his fingertips gripping the walls. His face squinched up as her tongue experimentally stroked the underside of his erection. Rolling his head against the tile, he bit his lip and groaned as she gripped him firmer around the base of his shaft.

"Oh god Ness…." he moaned, opening his eyes long enough to peek down at her. She sucked on the tip of him, her eyes coming up to meet his gaze.

It didn't take long before both of them began to get used to the feeling of her going down on him. Renesmee become more bold with her mouth, taking more of him in. Jacob calmed down enough to stop gripping the shower wall and actually touch her hair and face.

"Oh god," he panted, sinking down to sit on the built in bench along the tile wall. She stopped briefly, smiling at him before she continued.

"God babe, you make me so….so…" he groaned the rest of his though. His hand moved forward, touching the soft skin of her chest. Trailing downward, he reaching forward to lightly caress her breasts. His fingertips absently rolled her nipple in their grasp, making her moan with him still nestled in her mouth. The vibration of her throat mixed with the feeling of her velvety breast in his hand send him over the edge.

"Are you okay?" she asked, pausing her movements. He bobbed his head quickly, his eyes widening with approval.

"You're amazing…just…just…don't stop?"

"Sure thing…just….tell me what to do?"

He felt his cheeks grow hot. "What do you…. You want me to tell you?"

She nodded, taking him back into her mouth. Sliding her head down, she took a large portion of his shaft into her mouth. He inhaled sharply and groaned.

"Oh just like that," he moaned. He took her hand and put his over it, making her grip the base of him tightly. That combined with the feeling of her tongue making it's way up his length was almost more than he could handle.

"Oh…oh…" he groaned, making her halt. Her eyes went wide as she backed away from him, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Did I hurt you?" she gasped, her lips covering her teeth. Jacob moaned in anguish as he was left hanging just before he finished.

"No no no…just…" he panted, grabbing her hand and placing it back around him. Keeping her hand covered, he gave himself a few last hard jerks before exploding on their hands and his stomach.

Renesmee's eyes went wide as she watched him orgasm in front of her. His thick member pulsed amidst the steam of the shower, his breaths labored as he tried to ride out his high.

"What are you…why are you staring at me like that?" he gasped, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Renesmee looked at him, her expression still slightly amused and surprised.

"I've never…seen…seen you do that…" she admitted sheepishly, touching his thigh.

Jacob let his head fall back against the tiles again with a thud. Renesmee stood up, nudging him over so that she could sit on his thigh. She leaned down against his chest. Jacob hissed under his breath as he felt her against him, her nipples brushing against his chest. She ran a hand up and down his arm as the water washed away all evidence of their activity.

"You're not helping me calm down you know," he said under his breath as he watched her pink nipple brush against his chest. She laughed, the motion further alluring him.

"That was….."

"_Amazing? _Fucking fantastic? Yes, I know, I was there."

"I was going to say interesting," she admitted, giving him a crooked grin. He laughed loudly, the sound echoing against the tile walls. His hand cupped her bare bottom, holding her tighter against him as he chuckled.

"I know…..sorry," he offered, his voice small and embarrassed. "I shouldn't have let you…well…I should be trying harder at romancing you instead of letting you…."

"Go down on you?"

"How do you know that's what it's called?"

"Cosmo."

Jacob nodded knowingly, closing his eyes as the jets of hot water hit their bodies. "Remind me to write them a letter of thanks."

"So you like it?"

He laughed again. "Ness, I told you…anything that includes you and well…that…I will enjoy. But I should be trying to romance you here. Letting you give me oral doesn't really count as a tender moment."

"I thought it was fun," she said, her voice low and indignant. Licking her lips, she could still taste traces of him there. _Masculine, yet fresh…._

"I don't need to be romanced. We've done that part….I want to get to the part where we just….explore. Do things we haven't done before…and….things we probably can't do when we get home in a few days."

"You're ready?"

She nodded. "But let's not think about that now. We'll be there before we know it, and…I want to take advantage of this time we have together to just be us. Just for a little while longer."

A wicked grin suddenly crossed Jacob's features. "So….you want a new experience, do you?"

She nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

He licked his lips, his hand reaching up to softly cup her breast. He let his thumb roll itself over her nipple, watching in awe as it reacted to his touch. Nessie sucked in a breath, biting her lip.

"Just stand up and put your hands on the wall. I'll do the rest."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee blushed, thinking back to the night before in the shower. It had certainly been a learning experience, that was for sure. She ran her finger through the soft, white sand and was reminded of how smooth Jacob's skin was beneath her fingertips. Blinking a few times, she watched as the sun made it's final decent in the sky for the day. It sank faster and faster as night approached, promising to cloak the hot little island in it's cool blanket for the night. It was nothing but steamy and hot on Isle Esme in the daytime but at night the temperature dropped at least ten degrees and the steam rose.

It wasn't much, but it was cooler. Never cold, just…cooler.

_Cold. _

The word rang in Renesmee's mind as a familiar face appeared. Stefan.

Her thoughts were soon laced with wonderings about her friend and formerly potential love interest. _Was he happy? Was he still on a path towards finally finding love with Nahuel's sister, Isadora? _As his green and golden eyes faded from her mind, she certainly hoped so. She hadn't' meant to hurt him or lead him on, and she truly hoped he had found happiness and love with the other half-breed.

Her eyes found the spot in the water where she had waded out to Jacob that night. It had only been a week or so since the night of their first time together, but already it felt like eons ago. So much in her life had changed that it was almost impossible to wrap her head around.

She heard his footsteps approaching behind her in the sand, but she kept staring out at the sunset. Jacob kneeled behind her, placing a kiss on the crook of her neck that was exposed through her strapless cotton sundress. He arranged himself so that she was sitting between his legs. With a sigh, she leaned back against his chest like she would a comfortable old recliner. She watched as his toes dug into the sand next to hers, enjoying the feeling of it's softness.

"What are you watching?"

Renesmee smiled faintly, placing her hand on his arm that was now woven around her middle. A perfect view of the sun appeared; she showed him in fast forward what the sunset had looked like. It slowed as her pictures caught up with what the sun actually looked like in the sky.

"Beautiful, as always."

She laughed, rolling her head to the side to kiss his arm. He dug his nose into the top of her head, inhaling a breath of her sweet smelling hair.

"Promise me something.'

His voice was tender and soft, but firm as he spoke.

"Anything."

"Do you always agree so willingly?" he joked. She laughed, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll always keep every beautiful memory like this…locked away. In your mind. In your perfect little vampy mind…" his voice trailed off, suddenly emotional.

"Why Jacob? You'll always be with me-"

"-No, I'm never leaving. Don't think that," he said quickly, cutting her off. She turned in his arms to look up at him. "I just want to always remember moments like this…with you. I never want to forget them. I'm never going to grow old on the outside, but…on the inside…my mind will. I think…eventually. I'm scared…"

His voice caught in his throat suddenly, and his words halted. She looked up at him, reaching up to touch his face. She showed him a safe feeling, urging him silently to continue.

"Thanks," he said, chuckling awkwardly. His arms tightened around her. "I want you to remember moments like this in case I…in case I forget. Forever is…such a long time, Ness…and…I'm scared to forget stuff like this. I want you to always remember so that you can…show me."

Her heart melted a little at his rather vulnerable words. "Of course I will Jacob. I'll always remember things like this."

"You swear?" he asked, nuzzling the side of her face. She nodded, turning to kiss his cheek.

"How could I ever forget?"

Her words were simple, but they rang so true in his ears that he couldn't contain himself. The grin that appeared on his face threatened to split his cheeks, but he couldn't have cared less.

"I love you," he said, leaning down to kiss her lips. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing in her sweet scent that was laced with the smell of coconut. "I love you so much sometimes that….I think I'm going to like….combust or something."

She giggled, reaching up to touch his cheek. Showering him with all the pictures of love she could, she let her inner voice ring above the slew of emotions she was showing him. _I love you more than my own life, _she communicated.

He smiled, remembering the phrase that was printed inside the locket she wore that was given to her by Bella.

He kissed her deeply, all the while wishing he possessed the same talent as his imprint. Deep in his heart, he knew that he would be forever envious of her ability to show him all of her love, for he ached to be able to do the same with her.

His kisses soon grew urgent as he held her in his arms. She turned her body further to give him better access. Before she knew it she was lying on her back in the sand, Jacob hovering above her. He kissed and sucked at her neck, making goose bumps rise up on her skin despite the heat. When he settled between her legs, the thin cotton of her dress did little to hide the growing hardness between his. She let her hands lightly run up and down his spine as he moved to kiss her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip. Giggling, she returned the favor. Soon his shirt came off, exposing the broad planes of his tanned chest.

"You're so beautiful," she blurted out without thinking. Jacob smiled somewhat cockily, raising in eyebrow at her.

"You think so?" he asked, giving her a short kiss on the lips. He ground his erection against her steadily moistening core. A tiny whimper escaped from her throat as her skin began to tingle. She wanted him like this…always.

"I do," she laughed, grasping the sides of his face to bring him down closer. She kissed him deeply again, a rush of excitement rolling over her. She loved times like this, when they caught each other off guard. It was so exhilarating to be doing nothing at all with Jacob, like sitting on the beach when…..the familiar mixture of need and lust would come over them so quickly. She could barely keep her hands off of him.

As she lay back in the sand, letting Jacob kiss down her neck and chest, another thought crossed her mind. It was something she had been worried about for days now, and she couldn't push it from her mind.

_What were they going to do when they got home? _Her father was still getting used to the idea that she was an adult now and they were finally going to be together…how on earth would he react when he found out that they had been intimate? How would they control themselves in his presence? Or with the rest of her family, for that matter?

Worry slowly settled over her as her mind took her a thousand miles away to Forks. How would things be when she couldn't have her Jacob like this? They had been on the island for weeks now, just the two of them together. No rules, no boundaries, no sense of time or urgency…she suddenly realized that going home was going to be an unwelcome shock.

"Do you feel what you do to me?" he groaned, pressing his groin against hers again. Her lower half sang with relief as his hardness pressed against her, rubbing her in all the right ways. She bit her lip as words seemed impossible at the moment, nodding quickly. His soft touches and needy whisper brought her back to the present, but the thought of home was still weighing heavily on her mind.

"I want you so much, Ness, I can't help myself," he growled in her ear. She shivered, and he laughed against the skin on her neck.

"You make me so crazy, but I think I like it," she muttered, giggling slightly as his lips tickled their way down her neck. Her stomach turned with a nervous yet excited energy as she felt him settle deeper on top of her, his own body molding to fit with hers. He felt so good that she almost couldn't stand it.

"Here?" she breathed as he began to pull at the hem of her cotton dress. .

He pulled his face up and looked at her, surprised as he looked around. Her question seemed to break his trance. "Oh, uh…"

"Did you forget we are on the beach?" she laughed, looking at him closely. Jacob's cheeks flushed again, and she laughed.

"It's okay," she finally said. "We can…" she let her voice trail off, sure that he had taken her hint.

His lips crashed against hers again, molding perfectly as they moved together. His tongue slowly touched her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Gladly, she opened her mouth slightly to allow him to taste her.

She had to admit, Jacob's wofly kisses were nothing like his human ones. He had licked her face and 'kissed her' as he called it many times, and those had been sloppy and disgusting. Much to her delight, she found that he was an extremely good kisser as a human, and nothing like his wolf-self. _He was almost…delicate, _she thought. He was good about being very gentlemanly and careful, never forceful or sloppy. His kissing style was so unlike what she would have imagined him to be like, not that she was upset.

Would he be able to kiss her like this when they were home? When would they be together? Sure, they had joked about having sex in the woods once they were back in Forks, but….she didn't want that to be the only place they could make love with any privacy. Romps in the rainy forest were her idea of a seldom thing, but certainly not what she wanted every time. Biting her lip, she frowned with worry.

"Wait, Jacob….stop."

His kisses halted immediately. Jacob pulled back to look at her face, which was now creased with lines of worry. Taking it as a bad sign he immediately lifted himself up off of her.

"What….what's wrong Ness? Did do something….?" he asked with confusion.

She shook her head, sitting up in the sand. He brushed some sand off of her arms, concern showing on his features. She looked a the sun as it finally sank below the horizon, and she gulped.

"Jake…we're going to leave the island in a few days, right?"

He nodded sadly, still frowning. "We need to go home."

"Right," she said with a nod. She laughed nervously as she pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Well…and….we're going to be home, around everybody, and…and we can't do things like this."

"I know," he said petulantly, frowning even more. He looked like he'd been scolded.

"Right. So….how are we going to stop?"

He sat back in the sand, resting against her. His hand found her leg, and he rubbed it gently to sooth his obviously frazzled imprint. Soon, the softness of her skin and the light of the sunset on her coppery hair had him licking his lips. _She was so beautiful…_

"Jake," she pleaded, covering his hand with her own. "Do you see what I mean? We can't go home with things…like this. We can barely…we can barely stop touching each other for one second. My dad will.."

"Kill me," Jacob finished her sentence, eying his hand on her leg warily. She nodded.

"Right."

"He'll skin me alive the first time I slip in front of him and think about….well…"

"Right," she agreed again, feeling her heart speed up in her chest. Her palms twitched and began to sweat as she willed herself to calm down. She needed to stay calm to do this. It had to work; it was the only way things could go somewhat amicably when they returned home.

Panic began to cross Jacob's face. "So…what are we going to do?" He thought of Edward reading one little trace of his thoughts for the past few weeks, and he wanted to wet himself. Friends or not, Edward would be pissed.

She bit her lip nervously, sighing. "There's only one thing we can do if we want to be able to live like we have been and not get ripped apart by my father."

"What are you…" he said slowly, giving her a strange look.

Renesmee gulped, gripping a handful of the sand. Looking up into his dark eyes, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst.

"Marry me, Jacob."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Bonus treat this update! Reviewers will get something extra special in their review reply this time. If you would like the little outtake I've written for this chapter, please let me know and you shall receive! **

It's a decent sized outtake of what happened in the shower when Jacob wanted to give her a 'new experience'. I will warn you: it's ESPECIALLY rated 'M' for a reason. It's a bit racier than the normal tone of this story, which is why it is an outtake. I'm not even going to apologize for the amount of smut flying around in that little gem ; ) If you'd like it, please let me know and I will be sending it out on Sunday.

Hope I didn't lose too many of you while I was on my break! I needed to take the holidays to 'recharge' and rest, and I'm back! I've got lots planned for these last few chapters, so get excited!

Please review! : )


	51. Reckless

No one is as lucky as us

We're not at the end but

Oh, we already won

I'm not used to it

But I can learn

It's nothing to it

I've never been happier,

Never been happier

_Where the Lines Overlap - Paramore_

**x-x-x**

Jacob shifted in his too-small airplane seat. He already felt cooped up and at his wit's end, but knew that it had nothing to do with the plane he was on. Glancing sideways, he watched as his imprint sighed softly and rested her head against the glass of the window.

It had been two days, but her words from the beach still rang in his mind.

_Marry me, Jacob._

His fist tightened around the crumpled piece of paper from his straw. His coke sat on the tiny tray in front of him, fizzing. He glanced to the side as her breathing evened out, meaning that she was finally asleep.

The past two days had been interesting, to say the least. After she had basically proposed to him on the beach, he had been completely horrified, not to mention speechless. That was _his_ job. Proposing was supposed to be _his_ job.

He squeezed the paper in his fist into flattened smithereens as he watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so serene. As if all of their problems were now solved. He hadn't agreed, of course, but that made him feel like shit even more.

_If we're married, Jacob….then he can't say anything about us. He can't say anything ever again. We can be together always and not have any problems….I can't bear to be separated from you, Jacob, and I won't do it. I simply won't. _

Her words from the other night rang in his head. _How would being married fix anything? _Edward could still read his thoughts, and he would still pummel him into the ground. _Six feet under, to be _specific he thought bitterly.

"_Ness…I…we can't just run off and get married. Why don't you…..don't you want it to be special? With your family around, and a big white dress, and all that other crap that girls dream about?" _

"_All that matters is that you're there that day…and forever. I couldn't care less about everything else. I just want you…forever."_

Her words were short and simple, and made him feel like even more of an ass.

"_Nessie…I want to do this right. I don't want you….how could you even….you…" he had stuttered like an ass._

"_I proposed to you, Jacob, I didn't drop an atomic bomb. Stop gaping at me like I'm some sort of degenerate."_

They had done their best to move past what she had said on the beach, yet….the next two days had been tumultuous. They had tip-toed around each other in every sense except physically. Luckily for them, being intimate required few words. Much to Jacob's relief, Renesmee seemed quite content to spend their last few hours on Isle Esme tangled with him in the sheets of the blue room.

They had said their goodbyes to the island that morning, and were now on the plane back to Forks. It was the shortest leg of their journey, and they would soon be home. Time to face the music.

Jacob laid his head back against the seat, trying to think clearly. He wasn't upset with the idea of marrying Ness; that pleased him. Of course, he would have preferred to wait a few more years until she was older, but….could he wait? He knew she was right. There was no way Edward would let him live once he saw a glimpse into his thoughts. But would it be any easier if they were married? Would Edward leave them alone to live as married people did?

He knew Edward was old fashioned. He also knew that he was walking on a thin layer of ice with him. They hadn't said goodbye to him before leaving for Isle Esme, and he was sure that her father would be holding a grudge against him for that. But would he recognize that his daughter was now an adult? She was equivalent to a nineteen-year-old by now, he guessed. But nineteen was still young to even think about marriage in his mind.

He looked at her for what felt like the thousandth time. As if she knew he was thinking about her, she turned in her sleep and rested against his shoulder. Her arm wrapped around his, her nose pressing up against the cotton of his t-shirt.

Yes, he realized. She was far too young to worry about getting married or growing up that much. If they were married and living in a house together somewhere with bills and chores and all of the other things that came with it…she would be an adult. There was no turning back for her; her youth would be completely gone. She would be a grown up in no time. At least now she could act like she was nineteen. If she was a married woman, all of that would be gone.

As the plane descended onto the tiny strip of pavement known as Forks Airport, he couldn't help but wonder: _What were they going to do?_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

He tried to keep his thoughts blank as they got off the plane. As he guessed, there were more than just Edward and Bella standing at the gate waiting for them. Esme, Alice, and Emmett were all there, wearing smiles the size of Texas.

Jacob watched as her family embraced her tightly, showering her with hugs and kisses. They were so elated to have their darling Renesmee back that he felt out of place. He bit back a small feeling of jealousy as he watched the others embrace her as they welcomed her back. He had to remember that he would have to share her now.

"I missed you, baby," Bella whispered into Nessie's hair as she hugged her.

"I missed you too, Mom," Renesmee echoed, wrapping her arms around her stony mother. Edward circled them both in his arms, kissing his daughter on the head.

"You're back," he said simply, a pleased smile crossing his features. He hugged them both as Esme embraced me carefully.

"Jacob, I've missed you. I'm so thankful for everything…" Esme trailed off, resting her head against his chest. Jacob hugged the matriarch of the Cullen family gently, unable to hide his smile. He hadn't seen her in months. Since before he left for school, it must have been, though it was evident that she had missed him while he was gone.

"I missed you too, Esme. Got any new recipes you need me to try out? Maybe a fridge that needs emptying?"

She pulled back, grinning at him with her brilliant white teeth and soft, golden eyes. "Anything. I'm just so happy to have both of my grandbabies back," she uttered softly, moving to hug Renesmee again.

Jacob felt his heart twinge as he listened to her refer to him so endearingly. She had mentioned several times over the years that she thought of him as a part of her family, but…to hear it now, after everything that had happened, made him feel loved.

"Jacob," Edward said softly, turning to him. He glanced downwards slightly at Renesmee's father, trying to keep his mind neutral. There would be time to talk to Edward later.

"Yes, there will be. But in the meantime…I'm glad you're back."

"You're glad I'm back or you're glad Nessie is back?"

Edward's face twitched as he fought a smile. "I'm glad you're both back."

Jacob tried not to show his surprise as he followed the small clan of people to the waiting SUV. The chilly air hit his skin as he walked with her to the car. Renesmee beamed at him, wrapping her arm around his as they walked. Bella took her other arm, gliding alongside to her through the parking lot.

"It's so nice to be home," Renesmee laughed as a droplet of rain hit the end of her nose. Jacob smiled down at her, his grin lopsided and half-hearted. He had to focus on the little mundane details of what was going on if he was going to continue to keep his thoughts to himself. Edward once accused him of having thoughts so loud it was like he was screaming them at him. He silently vowed to not have that be the case today.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The ride home from the airport felt like it took eons. When they finally arrived back home to the main Cullen house, everyone unloaded and went inside to finish being welcomed by the entire family. Jacob grabbed her bags and made his way up the steps to her bedroom at the main house while she was attacked with welcoming hugs from her family.

"Hey."

Her voice in the bedroom startled him. "Hey," he echoed. He swallowed, feeling suddenly…awkward.

"It feels so weird to be home…we were gone for over a month."

He nodded, jamming his hands into his pockets as he watched her stand in the doorway. She moved across the carpet, her bare feet making no sound as she grinned at him. He was almost worried that she was too happy to be home; had he kept her away for too long?

"I miss it already."

He smiled at her words, opening his arms. She was in them faster than a bullet.

"I'll never forget Isle Esme," she said, pressing her hand to his neck. He chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

"Neither will I. We'll go back….someday," he whispered, gazing out the glass windows. As much as he loved holding his imprint, there were other things that needed his attention more right now.

"I'll leave you to it. I need to go see my dad and phase…" he whispered to her. She nodded against his chest, heaving a sigh.

"I know. Come back tonight? I'll be at the cabin."

"But…"

"Just do it. I'm going to talk to my dad while you're gone."

She watched as he left, jumping over the rail of the balcony with almost as much grace as a gymnast. He hit the ground with a soft thud, and was undressed several minutes later. She watched his tan body move, his muscles rippling as he tossed his clothes into the bushes. With a grin over his shoulder and a quick wink, he exploded into a running ball of reddish-brown fur.

Turning around, she jumped to see her father standing in the doorway.

"You have some explaining to do."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You know, you probably should have told Jacob that mom had him shielded. He was probably freaking out."

Edward made a disgusted growling noise. "I'll pretend like I don't know what that insinuates. Besides…I only had her shield him once we got into the car. I heard a few things-"

"Dad…"

Renesmee chuckled to herself. She was lying on her bedroom floor at the main house, and her father was lying on her bed. Both were staring up at the ceiling, talking. She had been dancing around the topic of Jacob since he arrived in her room a few minutes earlier.

"So you've told me about the island. Now tell me why Jacob was so on edge."

Renesmee took a deep breath, trying her best to remain in control. Although Bella was shielding her thoughts from her father now, she knew she couldn't expect her to do it forever.

Sitting up, she looked at her father. He sat up as well, sensing she was going to say something important.

"Dad….Jacob is….wonderful."

Edward tried to not let his face show his emotion. "He is…quite the man, yes," he agreed as politely as he could . Renesmee watched him try to keep his control; she knew he always tried to be gracious when talking about Jacob.

"Yes, Dad, he is. So….oh gosh, you're not going to like this…"

"I guessed I wouldn't."

"Dad…just….Jacob and I…things are obviously different now, and things between us have changed."

"As I said…"

"Just listen. He is wonderful and a gentleman and my other half, Dad. I…I asked him to marry me."

Edward was standing in front of his daughter in a split second. "You _what_?"

Renesmee flinched, but slowly relaxed as she realized how sad her father's features were. He wasn't angry. He was clearly a upset by her news. Her father's features looked undoubtedly saddened.

"Dad…I…I asked him to marry me. I know you're old fashioned, and so am I in a way, but-"

"Renesmee, you didn't!" Edward groaned, his face pained.

She stood in front of him, completely frozen. "Well, I did, Dad, so…."

She watched as her father grabbed fistfuls of his bronzed hair, growling to himself. "You're testing me, Renesmee."

"What are you saying?" she was utterly confused.

"Don't you see? Oh, you have so much of your mother in you. That's something….oh, perhaps Bella should explain this…that is something that is the man's duty! That isn't something that young girls do, running around asking men to marry them!"

Renesmee huffed, feeling the familiar sting of a disagreement with her father. "Dad, don't be so archaic! You can't really be serious?"

Edward composed himself, shaking his head. "I am very serious, Renesmee. I cannot believe you've gone and done such a thing! I may be old fashioned, but I refuse to believe I'm wrong on this."

"Look, I know you're from….1918, Dad, but….these days things like this _do_ actually happen. I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of this, I-"

They heard light footsteps racing up towards them. Bella entered, flinging the door open. Her eyes were a rich golden color, signifying her recent hunt. Her cheeks were subtly flushed with animal blood, and her hair was wild and windblown.

"What's all this about?" she asked in her velvety voice.

Edward dropped his hands that were grabbing at his hair, and they both looked at Bella in distress.

"Your daughter proposed to Jacob."

The silence echoed in the room. Bella's perfect mouth fell open slightly, her eyes wide. "What?"

Renesmee sighed, nodding sadly. She never in a million years pictured this announcement eliciting such a reaction out of everyone.

"It's true, Mom," she admitted in a quiet voice. Her brown eyes flicked up to meet her mother's golden ones, and for the first time since she could remember, Bella's face looked hard and disapproving.

"This changes things," her mother finally said.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob took a deep breath, looking around the house nervously. An owl hooted somewhere off in the distance, but the night was otherwise quiet. Renesmee was still at the main Cullen house with the rest of her family, and he hadn't seen her in twelve hours. He had gone back to La Push to spend time with his pack and father, but soon the pull to see his imprint again got to be too much.

His fist knocked against the hardwood door several times. He held his breath and waited for several moments to listen to what was going on inside. He could hear Emmett and Rosalie talking upstairs somewhere; Esme was in the kitchen doing something….and that was all he could hear besides Renesmee's fluttering heartbeat.

The door suddenly swung open and there she stood. He knew he should have spent more time taking in how beautiful she was and how much he missed her, but he simply couldn't. His arms had been aching for her since the moment she left him, and he couldn't contain himself any longer. She threw herself at him, practically molding her body to his.

"Is that a hello?" he laughed. She nodded against his chest, inhaling deeply.

"I missed you."

"It's only been half a day," he chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She lifted her face up off his chest, her expression worried.

"I still missed you, Jacob."

He cupped her cheeks in his hands and chuckled. "I missed you, too," he replied before pressing his lips to hers. Pushing her body tighter against his, she kissed him back with more force than he was expecting. He groaned as his hands found her waist, pulling her body welcomingly against his. Renesmee kissed down his jaw, letting her fingernails lightly scratch the places her lips had just been. When she began to kiss down his neck and lightly suck, he felt his pants begin to tighten.

"Ness, Ness," he gently chided her. Grabbing her hands, he stopped their welcome assault on his body.

Her brown eyes were wide with panic as she glanced around, remembering where they were. They were no longer on their own private island, separated off into their own little world. They were home.

"Sorry," she whispered, biting her lip. Jacob grinned, kissing her forehead.

"I forget too," he answered, gently pushing her back into the house. He squeezed her hands in his, kissing her knuckles as he followed her inside.

"We'll figure something out."

She was silent for a moment as he held her hands, her large brown eyes looking up into his. "Did you…did you think any more about…about what I asked you?" She couldn't find it in herself to say 'to my marriage proposal'. The words just simply wouldn't come out.

Jacob looked at her, his expression soft but serious. "I have. Ness…I…"

"Did I hear Jacob?" Esme's soft voice floated down the staircase. Renesmee and Jacob both looked up to see her grandmother standing at the top of the stairs with a rather bashful smile on her face.

"Yes, Esme, I'm here," Jacob answered, nodding at her. Esme's beautiful face lit up with a radiant smile as she raced down the steps to appear before them.

"I'm so glad you came," she said lovingly, embracing Jacob. He hugged her back, grinning at Renesmee over Esme's head.

"I missed cooking for you," Esme admitted. "Are you hungry now? I've been cooking ever since you got back, and…"

"Esme, you never have to ask. What have you got for me today?" Jacob asked, releasing Renesmee's grandmother. Esme beamed, welcomingly ushering them both up the steps and onto the main floor.

"Plenty," she laughed. "I've missed my food-eaters," she admitted. They sat down at the kitchen barstools while Esme made both of them eat what she had been cooking to celebrate their homecoming. While they ate, Jacob watched Renesmee as she sat at the counter. She was munching on some fruit salad that was on her plate, but her eyes suggested she was far away, deep in thought. He nudged her foot with his, earning him a weak smile. When they were finished eating, Renesmee stood and brushed off her clothes.

"Esme, we'll be upstairs," she said firmly, taking Jacob's hand. Esme looked up, her golden eyes clearly showing her surprise.

"Oh, well…alright then," she slightly stuttered, looking up at Jacob. He gave Esme a reassuring nod before being dragged up the steps to her bedroom at the Cullen house. The last thing he wanted was for Esme to worry about what they were doing up in her room. Jacob had no intentions of touching Renesmee within a fifty mile radius of anywhere Edward might be. _No thank you_, he thought.

"Are you sure this is alright?" he asked, following her into the bedroom. She shrugged, letting the door click shut behind her.

"I don't really care," she said quietly. Looking up at him, she wrapped her arms around his stomach and rested her head on his chest. "I'm not sure what's okay anymore, Jacob."

He sighed, ushering her over to the purple bed. He laid down on top of the comforter, pulling her up against his chest. He listened to her breathing slow down as they laid there, signaling that she had calmed down a bit.

"What's the matter, babe?" he finally asked. Placing his hand on her jean clad hip, he made lazy circles on the small patch of pale skin that was visible while he waited for her to talk.

Renesmee took a deep breath, shaking her head. "I just thought things would be different, I guess."

"What's that mean?"

She lifted her head up a little, propping herself up a bit. "I just thought that we would come home and get married and live our happily ever after…._finally_."

He sucked in a nervous breath. He had known that sooner or later this would come up. Personally, he was hoping for a bit more time to deal with this. "I know you did," he admitted. "But Ness….did it ever occur to you that I wanted to be the one to…to ask you?"

She thought a moment, biting her lip again. "Well….yeah, but….but I just blurted it out, Jacob, and I mean…I meant it, but…I wish I had never said it now."

His heart broke for her. "No, babe, don't think of it like that. You're my Ness - you've always said exactly what you were thinking and feeling and I've always loved you or it. That will never change, not even now. You just said what you were feeling and…and I've handled it really…shitty."

"What?" she asked, lifting her head up again. Staring into his eyes, he felt himself become putty in her hands.

"I've been meaning to talk about this, but…but I was never sure how. You threw me for a loop by asking me to marry you, but I still love that you did. You wouldn't be my Ness if you didn't blurt things out and say what's on your mind. I love you for that," he said again, reaching over to brush a piece of hair out of her eyes. "You make me so crazy sometimes…but I love it. I love every bit of it," he said softly. She smiled weakly, resting her head against the comforter. They laid there, side by side on top of her bed, staring into each other's eyes for a few moments.

"I love you too. How about…how about we just pretend like it never happened?"

Jacob grinned. "How about this, how about….you just sit back and let me do the asking next time, okay?"

She nodded. "I only asked you because I never want to be apart."

He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. Her breath was warm and sweet on his cheeks, and smelled like strawberries. Watching as her long eyelashes brushed against the tops of her cheeks as she blinked, she was simply too irresistible to him. Sliding his face down slightly, he pressed his lips against hers in a sweet kiss.

"I love you," she whispered when they broke apart.

"I love you too…" he murmured back. "And that's why I want you to enjoy being young."

She giggled. "You sound like my dad," she admitted.

Jacob wrinkled his nose, making a face. "I just want you to enjoy being a teenager now that finally _are_ one."

Renesmee gave him a pained look, reaching up to touch his neck. _I am a teenager, that's the thing. I want to do things with you that I can't control….and I wouldn't want to. That's the beauty of it_.

Jacob laughed, yanking her hand off his neck as he felt himself start to harden at her suggestive tone.

"Easy now. Ness…just listen…"

"I am listening," she giggled, leaning forward to kiss his neck. She nipped at it, her teeth scraping against his jugular. Instantly, he felt goose bumps rise up on his skin.

"Ness…just…ahhh…"

"What Jacob?" she asked innocently. Her eyelashes batted innocently, and he felt all the blood in his body rush down to his crotch.

"Now that you're around eighteen…or nineteen, I just…want you to be able to enjoy moments like this. If we're married-"

"-if we were married we really _could _enjoy this moment…" she practically purred in his ear, pushing him down on her bed. He groaned appreciatively, closing his eyes.

"I just don't to rob you of any experiences because you're….missing out on being young. You're only going to be young once."

"No, we're not. We're going to be young forever. Just think….ever ten years or so, we can move to a new place in on the planet and act like newlywed twenty somethings _all _the time…" she whispered in his ear.

He smiled, touching her cheek again. "Why do you think I'm taking this so well? It makes me really…well….complete to know that you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. Lets face it…a girl asking a guy to marry her is pretty forward. You must really like me."

She giggled, feeling instantly better. "I do kinda sorta like you," she admitted playfully, running a finger down his color bone. He shivered, enjoying her touch that he had missed so much in only twenty four hours. Closing his eyes, he pulled her towards his body. Pressing his lips against hers, he kissed her sweetly with the intent of only kissing her once. However, once her delectably sweet tongue met his, he unintentionally deepened their kisses. She sighed as his hand ran down her neck, past her breasts, and rested on her hip. Hitching her leg over his waist, she grinded herself against his hardening center to show him how much she had missed him. It had been only a few days since they had been together, but that was much longer than she ever wanted to go.

"Jake," she whispered, breaking their kiss. She eyed him saucily, hoping to convey what she wanted to do.

"We can't," he whispered back. "Esme is downstairs…."

Renesmee frowned, remembering the presence of her grandmother. He leaned down, kissing her bottom lip that was jutting out.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again. "I want you, too…."

"I _need _you," she moaned, using the leverage of her leg to pull his body closer to hers. He resisted at first, wanting to remain strong in the house. If he had sex with her now, he knew he would never be able to look poor Esme in the face ever again.

"Ness," he protested. "Ah!" he groaned when she began to suck on his collar bone. She kissed the area as she giggled, rolling back on top of him. Pinning him down, she straddled his clothed body and let her eyes travel downwards. A patch of his tan skin showed through the two undone buttons of his shirt, and she wanted nothing more than to rip it off of him. With a sly smile, she placed her hands on his cheeks and showed him just what she wanted to do with his clothes. Flashes of his clothing being tossed to the white carpet had him squirming in no time.

"Ness, oh god, you…" He fought to form words as she began to kiss and suck at his neck again while pinning him down.

"Mmm, Jake…"

"Ness…"

They were so busy kissing and watching the pictures she was showing him with her gift that they didn't even hear her door open.

"Renesmee?"

Both of them gasped. Renesmee shot up on Jacob's lap, her expression instantly riddled with guilt. Jacob flew up on his elbows, his dark yes wide as Edward stood in the doorway of her bedroom.

"Oh shit," he muttered, both of them frozen.

"Renesmee, go downstairs."

"But Dad-"

"Now!"

There was no mistaking the tone of Edward's voice as he stared at Jacob. Painstakingly, Renesmee stood up and adjusted her clothes, giving Jacob a fleeting, pained expression as she left. Jacob saw her wince as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Sitting up on the bed, he adjusted himself as well, trying his best to not look guilty. He had no idea if Bella was shielding him or not, and frankly the idea of his brain becoming Edward's personal playground didn't appeal to him in the least.

"Edward, I'm sorry, I-"

"Jacob, please just…" Edward cut him off, pacing in front of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as he sighed.

"We were just talking, I swear, and…and things just got out of hand, and…"

Edward sighed, opening his eyes. He looked a bit more composed than he had been a few seconds ago.

"Jacob," Edward began smoothly, looking up to meet his gaze. "Two things."

Jacob swallowed, nervously standing up. He gave Edward an expectant look.

"Make that three."

"Yes?"

"I want you to come to the main house tonight to speak with me."

"I can do that," Jacob agreed as politely as he could. Edward gave him a tight smile, nodding.

"Thank you. Number two…I know you've had premarital sex with my daughter."

Jacob felt his knees crumble a little. His mouth dropped open, and he fought to keep his cool.

"Uhm…Edward, look, let me-"

"Let me finish. One more thing."

Jacob's mouth clamped shut. If he had a tail, it would once again be between his legs at the moment.

"Yes?" he managed to choke out.

"Do you remember the night we spent in the tent on top of the mountain?"

Jacob didn't need any reminders. That was one memory that was burned into his mind. The night in the tent with Bella and Edward before the newborn war was one of the nights he would have selected to scour from his brain with bleach; however, he could still remember it vividly.

"I do."

"Well…you said that night that you felt it was unfair that your mind was open for me to listen to, and yet…yet my mind was still private. You felt it was unfair to let me pick through yours and not have the same favor granted to you."

Jacob shifted nervously on his feet, sighing uncomfortably. "What are you getting at?" he demanded softly, frowning slightly.

Edward stared at him, unblinking.

"Bella won't be there tonight. Your mind is all mine, at least for the evening…and vice versa. I will say everything that pops into my head and…and Jacob….we're going to get to know each other better."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob walked up to the main Cullen house, looking around anxiously. Knowing he would be there alone with Edward after he had had sex with his daughter didn't sit well with him.

_Don't think about his daughter! Shit…._

"Come in," Edward called from inside. He turned the handle on the glass door and slunk inside, still feeling somewhat humiliated that Edward could see into his mind. As much as he would have loved this at one point in his life, he actually felt some reverence for the father of his girlfriend. Now it was just embarrassing to think about his daughter in front of him.

"I have gotten rather talented with my gift, Jacob," Edward called as Jacob walked up the stairs. Edward was sitting in the modern looking family room off the kitchen, in the chair by the fireplace. "I can manage to block out things I don't want to see."

Jacob tried not to wince as Edward stood. He held out his hand, his golden eyes wide. Jacob shook it, noticing the hard, cold texture.

Edward gestured to him, and he sat down in the chair across from him while attempting to keep his thoughts to a dull buzz in his head.

"Jacob…let me first say that…." Edward paused, sighing. "I promised you I would be as frank as I could tonight. And I'm trying. I want to let you know that I'm not immune to the typical feelings of a father in my position, however…I know that your future with my Renesmee is eminent."

Jacob raised one eyebrow. "So you're not pissed?"

Edward gave him a slightly annoyed wince. "I'm perturbed that you engaged in…what you did with my daughter before marriage, yes, but….I have to realize that I'm….somewhat old fashioned." Jacob watched Edward swallow, his gaze still somewhat annoyed.

_Was Edward actually admitting that he was frozen in time? _Jacob thought to himself.

"Yes."

Edward's curt answer caught him off guard.

"Everyone thought I would wring your neck," he continued softly, his eyes staring into the flames before him. "I have to admit, at first I wanted to."

Jacob snorted without thinking about it. Edward looked up, his face strangely calm.

_Usually when I act like a jackass, you have something to say about it, _he thought to Edward.

"Yes, usually I do. But Jacob….I have to admit, I spent a lot of the time you were away with Renesmee thinking about relationships in general. I thought about my love for her mother, my love for her, and….and even for you."

_This is quickly getting weird, _Jacob thought.

"Don't be childish. Jacob, I've spent a lot of time hating you in the past and I don't want to retreat back to that man again," Edward said harshly. He looked up, his golden eyes meeting Jacob's. "Before Renesmee was born and you and Bella…" he trailed off, his face pained. "Before Renesmee, I spent a lot of time loathing the very thought of you. And then when she was born, I….I saw into every crevice of your mind and realized that you would do anything for her."

"You know I would."

Edward nodded, turning his eyes back to the flames. "So really….other than my slight annoyance with the fact that you've already consummated your relationship with her…I have no reason to hate you."

"You don't hate me?"

Edward looked up at him. "I'm annoyed, but…hate? No, Jacob, certainly not."

_Well this is new, _Jacob thought.

"Once Renesmee was born, I…I didn't hate you. I knew I couldn't hate you ever again. I saw into her mind and yours, and I saw how happy you made her. How could I ever hate something that gave someone I love such joy?"

_You've got a point_, Jacob thought_. I'd die before I'd ever let anything happen to her, you know that right?_

Edward nodded at Jacob's thoughts. "I do know that. Which is why I give you my blessing of sorts."

_You gotta be kidding._

"No, Jacob, I'm not. I promised I'd be honest with you tonight, and so honest is what I've been. I don't hate you for your relationship with Renesmee. I wish…some things had been done differently, but….Renesmee acts on impulse. I have to believe as a father that…that she's done what will make her the happiest, as…forever is a long time to live with any form of regret."

"I agree," Jacob added. "Edward, you have to know that we…." he wanted to assure Edward that they had taken precautions while they were on Isle Esme so that they didn't end up like Edward and Bella had, but Edward's hand flew up.

"I can…gather what you're trying to show me," he said with a wince. "And I thank you for being so…wise," he finally choked out. He met Jacob's gaze and nodded.

"You did the right thing. You were smart…smarter than I was."

"Did you actually just admit that?" Jacob asked, his jaw dropping. He ambled over slowly towards Edward, eventually dropping into the armchair next to his. Edward nodded.

"I can't expect two people who are so young to hold my….somewhat old fashioned standards. I can't expect it, even if it does…upset me."

"I'm sorry," Jacob said out loud. _I mean it, _he added mentally. Edward gave him a polite nod, his face still drawn.

_I know this has to be hard for you, _Jacob thought. Edward nodded again, his eyes still staring at the fire.

"It is difficult," Edward admitted. "But Jacob…it would be even more difficult to let my daughter be with someone who didn't care enough. Your biggest flaw is that you care _too _much…you always have."

Jacob smiled. "I wouldn't call that a flaw then, Edward," he laughed. "But I really do want the best for her…that's why when she asked me…."

He let his mind drift back to the white sandy beach where Renesmee asked him to marry him. He showed Edward his thoughts of doubt, fear, and disappointment that he didn't get to ask her that question himself. He showed him how much he wanted to please both he and Bella, and most importantly Renesmee. He showed Edward how trapped he felt.

"I don't want you to feel that way, Jacob. I do…feel better knowing that you have the same fears I do. You don't want her to grow up too fast, or to take on too much."

"Right," Jacob nodded. "I feel like…like this is our college, you know? We're out in the world, we finally have a chance to live life without fear of something else…the possibilities are endless. I don't want to marry her and make her feel tied down and…and _old _before she has to be."

Edward looked over at him with a meaningful expression. "You're completely right. I feel the same way. I had hoped she would….give herself more time."

"I did too. I mean…I'm glad things are…different now," he said nervously, clearing his throat. "But I don't want her to be a grownup just yet."

"I understand. I don't want that for her either."

"But…" Jacob trailed off. _You and I both know we can't exactly make that decision for her. Once Renesmee decides what she wants…._

"I know," Edward mused, listening to his thoughts. "So, all I can do is ask you one thing, Jacob."

"What's that?"

"Do what you will in the meantime to pacify her….as, well…I did her mother. I would have done anything to make her wait a little longer…to experience just a little more before her time came. All I ask is that you give her some time before…"

_Before we get married? She's already asked me, Edward. She's expecting an answer. She's made that very clear, _Jacob thought.

Edward nodded. "Just please….Jacob, just wait a little while longer."

Jacob nodded, standing up from his seat. Edward looked up at him, and he reached his hand out. Edward shook it, and Jacob gave him another hopeful look.

_I'll do what I can, Edward. But you know your daughter as well as I do. _

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The giant cat let out a feral growl as its paw swiped at the air. Its giant, razor sharp teeth caught the early morning light. It was dawn, but the cloudy cover of the clouds made it look much earlier in the day. The cat's hot breath came out in small clouds of air as it swiped at her again, flashing its sharp teeth and claws. It was a warning sign to any predator that this animal wasn't to be messed with.

Renesmee let her own growl pierce the morning air. She felt her lip instinctively curl as she showed the animal _her _weapons of choice. The animal swiped again as she moved in closer. She felt the tickle of the cat's claws against her thigh as she got too close. Reaching out her hand, she faked left and then right before tumbling onto the ground in a roll with the angry feline. It yowled and spat as it tumbled to the damp forest floor with her, but it didn't faze her. She hadn't hunted since before Isle Esme, and she was thirsty.

With one last growl, Renesmee straddled the beast and ended the fight with a snap of her wrist. The cat was finally silent as she lifted it up in her arms to drink. The meal was short but sweet. The cat's blood flowed down her throat, quenching the dull burn that had just recently started to bother her.

Setting the carcass down, she began to look for a tree to uproot to hide proof of her hunt from human eyes.

"Looking for something?"

The smile lit up her face before she even looked at him. Standing up, she brushed the dirt off her ripped pants and shirt, meeting his gaze.

"It looked a little touch and go there for a minute," Jacob mused, raising an eyebrow at her. She shrugged, wiping the mud and blood off her hands.

"I'm rusty….it's been awhile," she admitted with a shrug. Her tongue swiped the last drop of blood from her lip, the small drop igniting her tongue. She was part human so food kept her strong, but blood…blood made her body sing.

Jacob grinned at her, his eyes taking in her slightly disheveled appearance. The giant cat had clawed a huge rip in the front of her pants, exposing her thighs, and the scuffle had torn the shoulder of her frilly top right off. The piece of lace that was supposed to cover her left shoulder now hung down in front of her in a tattered shred. Her hair had been ripped out of its ponytail and was hanging in loose curls around her flushed face, which was smeared with traces of dirt and mud.

"Sorry," she said, motioning to herself. Jacob smirked at her, crossing his arms over his bare chest. His hair was in desperate need of a cut; it hung shaggily down to his ears. He wore only a ripped pair of denim cutoffs that hung off his muscled hips. She could tell that he probably wasn't wearing any underwear. He was wild and unkempt, and just the way she preferred him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, although he had a feeling he already knew the answer. A quiet smirk decorated his features as he watched her.

Renesmee sighed, laughing quietly as she brushed her wild, wavy hair away from her face. Her torn shirt fluttered in the early morning air as she walked over to where he stood, his arms still crossed.

She was quiet for a moment as she grinned at him, silently making her way over to him. "Hi," she purred once she was standing in front of him. She leaned playfully against his crossed forearms, kissing his tan skin. He smirked down at her, holding his poker face.

"Did you miss me?" she asked coyly. He gave her a curt nod.

"Maybe."

She laughed silently. "Want to show me how much you missed me?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. He felt himself twitch in his jean shorts.

"You know it," he growled, grinning down at her. His hands encircled her waist as they collided together, crashing down onto the damp earth. They were going to get muddy and dirty and covered with leaves, but neither of them cared at that particular moment.

Their bodies hit the ground, rolling several times amongst the ferns. He pinned her against the forest floor, settling his body between her legs. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

"You _did_ miss me," she practically purred.

He nodded, rubbing his nose alone her cheek bone. "Want me to show you how much?"

"Of course. I've been _practically dying _to all day," he whispered, grinding his hips against her center. Renesmee's eyes rolled back in her head as she enjoyed the feeling of his growing hardness against her thin jeans.

"Mm, too many clothes," she moaned as he kissed and sucked down her neck. When he reached her exposed shoulder, he licked the pale skin there and made her shiver.

"I'm only wearing a pair of shorts, Ness."

"Like I said…too many," she replied. Her hands slid down his bare back, enjoying the feeling of his rippling muscles as she moved on top of her.

Teasingly, her hands slipped down into his loose fitting shorts that were hanging off his hips. Her hands grabbed at the top of his ass, pulling him against her even harder. They both gasped at the intensified feeling.

"_Fuck me_, you feel good," he growled in her ear, ripping at her already torn shirt.

"You don't hear me complaining, do you?"

He laughed against the skin of her neck, making her throw her head back against the ferns. The sound of ripping fabric echoed against the trees as her lacy top was shredded and tossed into the bushes. Her pink, hardened nipples greeted him in pleasant surprise. He stared down at her, cocking an eyebrow at his doe-eyed imprint.

"No bra?"

She shook her head, biting her lip coyly as he gazed down at her. The way her bronze curls were slightly damp from the mist and fanned all around her made her look like some kind of woodland goddess. Her pale skin practically glowed against the green of the trampled ferns, and her body was already covered with a thin sheen of water from the foggy air around them. _Irresistible, _he thought.

He drove at her, pressing his body against hers while yanking at the fly on his shorts. Times like these, he cursed the existence of clothing all together.

Renesmee used her foot to help him shed the pesky shorts, pushing them down over his tan behind. He kicked them off and quickly busied himself with the task of removing her pants as well. The cool, damp earth felt good against her back as she leaned against the ground, lifting her hips as he pulled off her pants. His eyes scanned her body that was now laid before him. Only a pair of simple cotton panties were in his way.

"Rip them," she panted, running her hand down the concave indents in his abs. He heart her soft whimper of need as her fingertips touched his hot skin. His breath came out ragged and labored as he grabbed the side of her underwear and shredded it without a second thought.

The sight of Renesmee naked beneath him was too much to bear. His body ached to worship her. Bending down, he didn't hesitate to begin lavishing her neck with kisses. His tongue darted out to taste her skin, and he wasn't disappointed. The sweet, somehow sugary taste that was so individually _hers_ greeted his senses, driving him crazier with abandon.

Jacob wasted no time enjoying the soft, round, and inexplicably perfect mounds that were Renesmee's breasts. He knew that he would never want to look at any others after seeing hers. Taking her hardened tip in his mouth, he showered it with attention as she moaned beneath him. Her body writhed slightly, but he held her steady as he pleasured her stiff peaks.

"Oh….ulgh," she groaned as one of her hands found his hair. He could tell she had lost all conscious thought as her fingers twisted themselves in his damp hair and pulled. He licked at one nipple, then moved to the other, circling it with his tongue before blowing on it slightly. She groaned and signed in appreciation, grinding herself against his hardness.

"Patience," he said, lifting up his head. She opened her eyes briefly only to have them roll back in her head again as he continued his attentions on her breasts.

Her body felt so amazingly good as it moved beneath him, reveling in the attention he was giving it. His senses were assaulted with the smell of her arousal and just how badly she needed him. His dick twitched with an aching hardness as she continued to grab and twist at his hair and grind herself against him.

_I need you…now, _she communicated, pressing her hand on his chest. Grabbing his pants, the condom was on in record time and he was pushing himself into her warmth. He immediately set a pace that had both of them feeling slightly dizzy but on the brink of satisfaction.

"You must have been hoping you would….ah…find me," she panted, turning her head sideways. She gazed at the condom wrapper on the ground as he began moving in and out of her.

"I was hoping I'd do a lot more than find you today," he admitted, pushing himself deeper. Renesmee gasped, one hand finding his shoulder to steady herself. She had wanted him so badly that her need was almost dizzying. Her other hand found his bare backside and pulled him closer.

Jacob gave her a cocky "Hmph," as he reached down and hooked her leg around his waist, giving him a better angle.

"Oh god Jake…._yes_," she muttered, closing her eyes.

"That's what I was hoping you would say," he growled, dipping his head down. He lightly bit at her hardened nipple, making her cry out as he plunged himself into her. Her moans in his ears made it hard to do anything, but he was determined to please her.

"Yes…Yes…oh god, that feels…so _good_," she panted, biting her lip. He smiled against her breast and bit her again. She cried out, clenching herself around his hardness. He growled, lifting his head up to her mouth.

"I'm not going to last long," he whispered. "You feel….too good."

He thrust a few more times as her body tightened around him. "Jake..I'm…I'm.."'

Looking down, he watched as Renesmee's free hand clenched a fistful of damp earth as her feminine center pulsed around him. He panted as she bit her lip and turned her head to the side, her cheek smeared with mud and dirt. She looked so unbelievably sexy and vulnerable as she came that he felt himself tighten with release as well. He thrust into her against and again, harder and harder as his body uncoiled, bringing him to bliss.

After a few more heavy breaths, he rolled off of her, pulling her into his arms. Renesmee cuddled up against his side, laying her head on his hest.

"That was…amazing," he panted, letting his head fall back against the ground. She giggled breathlessly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair away from his eyes. He reciprocated the action, brushing a slightly damp strand of hair off her sweaty neck.

"It was amazing but…how on earth am I going to get home?"

He looked around them, trying not to laugh as he spied their clothes. His shorts had a huge rip in them, her torn shirt was hanging on a tree branch, and her underwear looked more like confetti.

"We're so reckless when we get like that…and I know I should be ashamed, but…" she trailed off, running a hand down his chiseled chest, "I'm not."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The days passed slowly after that. Renesmee went back to her lessons, and Jacob went back to working at the garage. She lived in the cottage with her parents, and he still slept at Billy's, patrolling when he was scheduled. She tried to keep her thoughts relatively clean as she went on with her day to day life; her mother wasn't shielding her at her own request. It would be impossible for Bella to guard her thoughts every single moment for the rest of eternity, and she wanted to get used to not having that luxury. When her father was around, she pictured sonnets from Shakespeare and conjugated Latin verbs in her mind to keep it from wandering. However, as soon as he was out of hearing shot, her mind would return to thoughts of Jacob.

They still saw each other every chance they got, but it was harder and harder to do as time wore on. Their rendezvous places were hard to hide on both sides of the boundary lines. When they would try to find a place to go on the reservation, he would have to hear about it from his pack. He could ban comments with an Alpha order, but he couldn't exactly block snarky looks and smirks. On the other side of the boundary line, they had to be careful as well. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward had come across the place in the woods where they had had their last romp in the ferns and Renesmee had almost died of embarrassment. They had gotten back from Isle Esme a few weeks before Christmas, and it was now the middle of February. Things had gone from bad to worse. Their time together was usually rushed and not without interruptions from their friends and family.

"This has to end sometime," Renesmee groaned one night as she sipped from her Coke. Jacob shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth and glanced around them in the movie theater.

"Are you gonna be alright?" he questioned, looking over at her. "I know you're frustrated…and believe me so am I…but what can we do?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to lose my mind here soon."

"That makes two of us," he whispered to her. "I'd like to just be able to sleep in the same bed as you for once…and not be separated by a brick wall and a bunch of fricking day lillies," he grumbled. She smiled, rubbing her thumb in circles over his hand. Jacob spent every other night in wolf form, curled up under her bedroom window of the cottage.

"I miss sleeping with you too. Not just the…you know, sex, but….just sleeping in the same bed. I don't sleep as well with you not there," she whispered sadly.

"You miss sleeping with me too? I thought that was just me," he admitted softly.

"I miss every aspect of…sleeping with you," she said with a soft giggle.

"Sorry, babe, but….I'd like to think we'd get a few stares if we went at it in here," he joked, looking around the movie theater. There weren't too many people present, but definitely enough to notice if she jumped up in the chair and straddled him like she wanted to. She elbowed him and opened up the box of chocolate Milk duds.

"Do you still like this?" she asked, holding the box over his popcorn.

"Of course," he said, taking the box from her hands and dumping it over the hot popcorn. She smiled, taking a handful and munching happily. They had gone to the movies in Port Angeles for the night in Jacob's truck to get away from her family and his pack. As much as they loved being around their friends and family again, it was almost a hassle to find ways to get away from them.

She sighed as she chewed, deep in thought. There weren't many options for them; Jake's father was home, as were her parents. She had some money, but not enough to go anywhere nice or do anything special. She knew Jake didn't have much money either.

"What are you frowning about?" he asked as the movie started. She shook her head, resting it against his shoulder.

"Just wishing we had a place to go to be…together," she admitted sheepishly.

_I feel like a horny teenager_, she admitted, pressing her hand against his arm.

He smirked at her, nodding. "That's what we are."

"Forever," she giggled. "Are you sure that doesn't bother you? Living forever?" she added in a whisper.

He shrugged. "Will you be there?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Then, no. I don't mind," he laughed, shoving another handful of popcorn in his mouth. Renesmee laughed, leaning on his shoulder.

"I've spent days at a time in thought, trying to contemplate what it means to live forever, and you…..you just ask me if I'll be there."

"That's all I need….that's how much I love you," he stated simply, shrugging his large shoulders.

She smiled, leaning over to kiss him. He tasted sweet like candy, and she found herself deepening their kisses before he could protest. The opening credits rolled, and neither one of them even noticed. Reaching a hand up, he cradled her jaw in his hand, stroking her cheek lovingly. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and she welcomed him wholeheartedly. She grabbed his neck, pulling herself as close as the movie seats would allow. They made out for several minutes, completely lost in each other before someone behind them coughed 'get a room'. Jacob began to growl and turn around, but she stopped him.

"Don't," she whispered, patting him on the chest. She caught the eye of the group of wide-eyed teenage girls across the isle and blushed as they giggled. A deep blush rose up on her cheeks as she realized they had been watching her with Jacob.

"They're probably just jealous," Jacob whispered in her ear, following her gaze. She smiled, nodding her head.

"I suppose," she said. He took her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Hey, sometime….sometime I wana fool around in a movie theater," he admitted sheepishly. She grinned at him in the darkness, watching the lights change on his face as the movie played.

"You do?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he admitted in a raspy voice. "I mean…that's kinda…naughty, right?"

She rolled her eyes and tried not to burst out laughing. "What?" he laughed. "If we're going to live forever we've got to find ways to keep things...you know….spicy."

She snorted and giggled, losing all composure. They got a few 'shh!'s from all around them, but they still laughed all the same.

"Are you worried things will get dull?"

"Not in the slightest. Just sayin," he chuckled, reaching for another handful of popcorn. Renesmee shook her head at him and turned her attention back to the movie. She watched about half of the action packed man-movie before getting bored with the predictable plot and all the explosions. Looking to the side, she watched as Jacob happily stuffed his face with popcorn and stared at the movie screen.

"I told my parents I'd be home at twelve," she finally whispered, feeling somewhat sheepish.

"Do you have a curfew?" he whispered back, frowning slightly. She shook her head.

"No…but I still told them I'd be home. How much money do you have on you?"

Jacob made a face. "Um, like…forty bucks. I paid for the tickets, and…yeah I think I have like forty bucks."

"I have twenty…."

"What's your point?" he chuckled. "Do you want to hit the casinos after this or something? Double or nothing?"

She swatted at his hand and looked around them. "No, I want to…I want to go somewhere," she whispered, turning in her seat to face him. Jacob frowned.

"Where do you want to go?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you so….ulgh, nevermind." she pressed her hand to his arm and showed him the picture in her mind of the tiny motel that was along the highway coming into Port Angeles.

"You want to go there? What for?"

She hissed at him quietly. "So I don't have to spend the evening with my back up against a tree trunk!"

Recognition lit up in his eyes. "Oh…oh!" he whispered. He quickly shoved the last handful of popcorn into his mouth and downed the rest of his Coke. "Let's go."

"Now?"

"It's almost nine now….and you have to be home by twelve…so…yeah, let's go now," he whispered. She grinned at him in the darkness, grabbing her purse. They stood up and slunk out of the movie that was only halfway done. Jumping into his beat up Chevy truck, they took off.

Once inside, she rolled down the window a crack and let the wind blow through her hair. She felt so _alive_. She was doing something that normal nineteen-year-old girls did - escape with their boyfriends and try to have some fun before curfew. Jacob watched as the wide smile practically covered her face.

"It's not much," he said twenty minutes later, opening the door to the cheap motel room. The small motel sat nestled along the side of the interstate, its tiny, wood-trimmed bungalows almost blending in with the forest behind it. She had seen it here a million times, yet tonight was the first night she really noticed them on the way into Port Angeles.

Setting down her purse, she smiled at him expectantly. "It's fine, Jake. All I wanted was a room with a door, and a bed, and…and you," she said finally, shutting the door with a click. Silence sliced through the room as her intentions were made clear. A cunning smile formed on his features. The dim light from the neon sign buzzed and shone through the blinds, shedding a shred of light on the two of them.

"Do you want the uh…lights on…or?" he stuttered slightly.

"Leave them off," she urged, her voice just above a whisper. She began to play with a lose curl that hung down over her shoulder. She wasn't dressed for tonight; she wasn't wearing anything particularly sexy or appealing. Jeans, a cardigan, and a flimsy tank top paired with a few necklaces and flats. Her underwear probably didn't even match, but…none of that mattered.

"What are you thinking with the coy little smile?" he asked, sauntering over to her. His fingertips found her belt loops, and he slipped his fingers into them.

"I'm thinking that my bra doesn't match my underwear?" she laughed, wincing up at him. Jacob burst out laughing, shaking his head.

"No one can ever fault you for not being honest, Nessie," he chuckled, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. She giggled nervously for a second, but stopped when she remembered where they were and why.

"Jake…..count my appealing qualities later. We only have 'til midnight."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You swear you're not mad?"

Renesmee looked sideways at Jacob as his truck roared down the highway several hours later. She shook her head and placed her hand on his forearm as he drove.

_How could I be angry when I'm this….satisfied? _She watched with a shy satisfaction as Jacob's tan cheeks turned a little darker.

"Okay then," he replied in a low voice. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he pulled off the highway and into the Cullen's driveway.

"The room was perfect, Jake."

"It was a hole in the wall. Rats probably turned their nose up at it."

Renesmee bit back a smile as she stared out the window. "We only needed it for a few hours, and….I believe it served it's purpose," she pointed out. The nervous look on his face was hard to miss.

"Want me to run the rest of the way?" she asked as the truck slowed. He looked up the land in the direction of the house nervously, clearly worried.

"Oooh, big bad wolf," she muttered, clicking her tongue. He shot her a glare.

"Are you sure you can keep your thoughts to yourself?"

She nodded. "I've been practicing. I'm sleeping at the big house tonight anyway. It'll be fine Jake."

He raised his eyebrows. He still didn't enjoy being anywhere within Edward's earshot, especially after a night like the one they had just had. He had had enough trouble keeping his hands off Renesmee in a dark movie theater. When she had suggested getting a motel room to use for a quick romp before she had to be home for curfew, well….his thoughts at the moment were less than daddy-friendly.

"I'd give anything for your dad's gift to be like…..the ability to shoot lasers out of his eyes or….to be able to fly…but no…he has to read minds," he groaned, leaning his head against the seat of his tuck. Renesmee sighed, patting his hand. Her fingertips traced the outline of his hand against the cracked vinyl seat of the old Chevy, admiring the way they looked.

"It almost reminds me of the sand," she murmured at the pale white color.

He lifted his head up, a crooked grin appearing on his features. "My crappy Chevy's old seat looks like sand?"

She nodded, giggling slightly. "Maybe I just miss Isle Esme."

He chuckled, his voice cracking slightly in exhaustion. "You think we'll ever go back there?"

"I'm counting on it," she said quietly. She checked the time on her cell phone, wincing. "I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "Not 'til night. I gotta work, then I have to patrol. The guys are getting on my case lately for slacking. I should be pulling double shifts since I was gone for so long…."

"Okay," she said sadly. "I get it." Reaching for the door handle, she stopped when his hand snaked out and stopped her.

"Hey….It'll go by fast. I'll say goodnight tomorrow night when I stop by. Around eleven. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, giving him a nod. Opening the door handle, she slid out onto the gravel drive and slung her purse over her shoulder. She looked back at him an felt her heart pang. In a flash, she was around to the driver's side, leaning in the window. Jacob laughed, rolling window the rest of the way down.

"Missing something?" he chuckled. She nodded, lifting herself up on her tiptoes. She kissed him hard and long, using her hand to show him with her gift just how much she missed him. He broke away looking utterly dazed.

"What are you doing, trying to kill me?" he panted, opening his eyes. His hands gripped the steering wheel as she rocked back on her heels.

"No, Jake, of course not. What good would you be to me then?" she asked with a wink. And in another flash, she was gone.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

There you go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter - a LOT happened! This story is winding down…we have two more chapters, then an epi, and that will be all : (

However, I am planning on getting a 'Bottled Up Lightning' update up sometime this week, and I have also posted the smutty outtakes to this fic! If you enjoy 'Untouchable', then be sure to check out the 'deleted' scenes -** 'Touch Me; The Untouchable Outtakes**' also posted on my account. I will warn you, the stuff posted on that fic is the stuff that I felt was too racy to post in this story. It's extremely 'M' rated!

**Please review!** I'd love to hear what you all thought of Edward's talk with Jacob, how they reacted to being home, and of course their romp in the ferns ; ) I'm enjoying writing the smut for these two, and I hope you are all enjoying reading it!

**Also, be sure to check out the photo bucket (on my account) as I have posted some new pics from Untouchable, as well as the TWO new banners made for the story by the lovely RachxMichelle! **


	52. The Waiting Game

_So maybe it's true_

_That I can't live without you_

_And maybe two is better than one_

_But there's so much time_

_To figure out the rest of my life_

_And you've already got me coming undone_

_And I'm thinking two is better than one_

x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob was at the garage working when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

_I need to get out of the house._

_What? Why?_

_Dad is picking my brain. I slipped, Jake. I'm sorry. I need out of the house. Tonight. _

_Where do you want to go?_

_Anywhere but here._

_Done, _he quickly texted back. Jacob shut his cell phone, slipping it into his pocket.

"Everything all right?" He looked up, meeting Embry's concerned face. For a friend that could be somewhat of a prick at times, he was good at showing concern when his best friend was visibly upset.

"Yeah, just…Ness. She wants outta the house for the night."

Embry nodded, flipping through the stack of invoices stuck to his clipboard. They were at the shop together several days later, working until close. Jacob had been pulling extra shifts since returning from Isle Esme in an attempt to make a bit of money. The last thing he wanted to do when the time came for Renesmee to live with him was have to ask the Cullens for money. No sir, not him.

"She alright?" Embry asked, walking over to where Jake was working. He shrugged, staring down into the car engine. What normally looked as familiar as the back of his own hand suddenly looked foreign. He simply couldn't think.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Things are just….stressed right now. I guess you could say…" he trailed off, picking up a rag. He wiped the grease off his hands and shook his head, licking his lips.

"I just…once we were together and everything was all perfect….I thought things would be easy."

Embry gave him a knowing smile. "Yeah, you thought you'd get the happily ever after ASAP, didn't ya?"

Jacob shrugged. "I guess so. I just thought…things would be easier."

"I getcha. Well….Once she gets a little older, don't you think things will be easier? I bet the older she gets, the easier Edward is on her."

Jacob bobbed his head from side to side in thought. "Yeah, he's actually the one who is a little easier to deal with…the guy has actually been cutting me some slack lately. It's actually his daughter that's giving me all the stress. Edward has a point…he doesn't want us to bump uglies in his house."

"I can see that," Embry said with a nod.

Jacob shrugged. "So can I. It's hard though…going from being together and just on each other all the time to….basically having chaperones. We went from being friends, to fighting, then to complete adults with alone time back to teenagers with curfews and shit. It's hard to go back to the way things were. Edward wants me to wait until we're married to resume….well, you know. I think he just wants more time with his daughter as a teenager. And I do too…I don't want to tie her down and get married right away."

"Married?" Embry asked, setting down his clipboard. "Are you serious?"

Jacob nodded again. "I think so. I mean…he's old fashioned. He doesn't want me diddling his daughter in his house and I can't say that I blame him - and not that I really want to. He knows we've had sex. But what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Play cards?"

Embry shrugged. "When do you think you'll pop the question?"

"That's what I don't know. Edward asked me to wait six months. It's already been two. So that puts me at June I guess. But I don't want to rush…"

"Just because you're engaged doesn't mean she's an adult. It also doesn't mean you have to get married right away," Embry pointed out.

"No…but is it bad that I still want to?"

Embry thought a moment. "Jake, you act like wanting to marry your imprint is such a crime. What's bad about that?"

"It's not. I just feel like…once we're married she'll have to grow up, and I don't want to rush her out of things. On one hand, I want to start living my life with her the way we were meant to. On the other….I just want to give her the youth that was kinda never given to her."

Embry thought a moment. "I getcha. Well….why not make the most of it?"

"What do you mean?"

Embry shrugged. "I mean what I said. Take her on dates, sneak out, buy her flowers….go ride a freaking Ferris Wheel and take goofy pictures for all I care. Just be teenagers. Neither one of you really got to do that, so…why not take the next four or five months and just…be two kids in love again?"

Jacob felt a smile creep onto his face. "You're right," he said. Reaching over, he gave his friend a friendly shove. "Look at you. All romantic, when did you get that way?"

Embry tossed his hair out of his eyes and grinned. "I'm a romantic, it's my thing. Chicks love it," he chuckled "Just take my advice. Act like teenagers for a few months and then settle down and do all the big stuff. I mean…you'll…"

Jacob noticed Embry's face as it grew saddened. "What?"

"You can't stay here forever, Jake. People are going to start to talk. None of us can. The Cullens aren't getting older, and neither are we. I'm going to stop phasing soon, and a bunch of the other guys are too. Well, at least the ones with human imprints. We have to in order to look normal. I mean…you'll have to move away sooner or later. Have you thought about where you're gonna go?"

He shook his head. "Edward said something about Canada. He thought getting out of the country would help us hide…kinda lay low for a few years."

Embry nodded. "I getcha. But…things are gonna change here pretty soon and…I think it would be cool for you guys to just lay low and keep it light for awhile."

Jacob watched his best friend, ever thankful for his honest advice. "Thank you, Em…man, I really appreciate it."

Embry nodded, crossing his arms. "No sweat. I'm just glad to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back," he admitted, giving Embry another pat on the shoulder. He spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up some odd jobs that had been piling up while he was deep in thought. Embry was right; they were going to have to move eventually, and he wanted to make the most of his time with Renesmee while she was young. He was also worried about where they were going to move.

"Canada…." he muttered to himself. He had been to Canada several times years ago when he was hiding from life. His mind flashed back to the time when he thought he was in love with Bella, and he disappeared to Canada for a few months. He would always gravitate towards one spot in particular outside of a city…..what was it?

Washing the grease off his hands, he pictured the quaint little place near the mountains where he would go, overlooking a lake. It was a beautiful spot with a killer view, and it was where he would retreat to think sometimes.

_I bet Ness would love it there, _he thought.

When he was finished for the day, he drove to the cottage where he knew Edward and Bella were to talk. There were some things he needed to straighten out.

"Jacob," Bella said, her eyes wide. She swung the cottage door open, motioning for him to come in. "Ness is at the main house. She said something about a cooking lesson from Esme?"

"I know she's up there. I need to talk to you and Edward actually," Jacob said, crouching slightly to walk through the door. He pulled anxiously at his t-shirt, already nervous. The idea of moving away from La Push already had him on edge.

"You're right…we do need to talk. I've been thinking about that, too," Edward said, appearing in the living room. Jacob nodded as Edward led them into the small sitting area.

Jacob sat down on the large, overstuffed couch as Edward took the chair by the fireplace. Bella perched on the arm, leaning against her husband with a confused expression.

"Alright…tell me your idea," Edward said with a nod.

Jacob smiled nervously and began to talk.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After his conversation with Edward, he knew what he had to do. Jacob felt satisfied with how it had gone, and was now confident of his decision. Things were slowly falling into place, and he had a plan. He had shown the area to Edward in his mind, picturing the Canadian wilderness and the spot that was so special to him. As he got up to leave, Edward nodded.

"I think I can find that place with some research. You're sure?"

Jacob nodded. "I think it would be perfect. No one is around for miles. Perfect hunting for Nessie, and….it would be nice to start over somewhere new. Fresh. Completely uninhibited."

"We need to lay low for a few years…we've been here too long," Edward murmured seriously.

"You're sure?" Bella repeated, looking at Edward. He nodded. "We'll need to pick a place to go eventually. I knew we'd need to leave the country again, love. We lived in Alaska before this, and now Washington. Getting out of the US and going to Canada for awhile would be wise. Eliminate some tracks," he said. She nodded, her golden eyes growing sad.

"We knew this day would come, Bells. I don't like the idea of leaving La Push either."

"I know," she said, looking up at him. "It's just hard."

"The first time is always difficult, love," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. Jacob's chest panged for his friend - he didn't want to leave either, but he would do it for his future family. Edward's gaze reached his own, and he nodded in agreement.

"Do you think Ness will agree to it?"

Bella looked at Edward, then back at Jacob, nodding. "I think she's like her mother in that sense…she'd probably follow you to the end of the world, and vice versa," she said softly.

Jacob nodded, giving her a quick squeeze. "Thanks, Bells. Edward…we'll be back by morning. I promise," he said.

Edward frowned slightly, but nodded. "I just….don't want to….see what you did tonight in your mind tomorrow. Or listen to you screaming at yourself to mentally avoid it."

Jacob felt himself blush. Edward gave him a wry grin. "I trust you, Jacob. Please be safe," he said.

"I'll guard her with my life," Jacob called over his shoulder, grinning at Renesmee's father. Edward chuckled, nodding.

Jacob nodded again before turning to leave. He broke into a run as soon as he left the cottage. Picking up speed, he darted through the forest and down the familiar path to the main Cullen house where Renesmee was. Suddenly, nothing was more important than showing her where they would hopefully be spending their future - together.

Bursting into the house, he raced up the steps to the kitchen. Renesmee looked up as she was grating some parmesan cheese onto the top of her concoction.

"Look, Jake! I made eggplant parmesan!" she said excitedly, wiping some hair away from her eyes. He couldn't resist grinning at her as he walked over to where she stood behind the kitchen counter with Esme, who was beaming at her creation proudly.

"You know, as long as you follow the recipe, most things turn out just fine. And if all else fails, I've found that adding some extra salt always helps the taste," Esme added. "So I've heard," she said with a laugh.

"Smells wonderful, honey. Do you have a second?"

"Don't you want to try it?" she asked expectantly, pushing a plate toward him. His excitement waned slightly as his stomach growled. Looking down at the food in front of him, he finally gave in.

"Okay, but after this, I have something to show you," he said. They ate quickly, Jacob downing most of the dish in one sitting. Both Renesmee and Esme laughed as he practically inhaled the food and jumped up.

"Let's go!" he insisted, practically pulling Renesmee up. He grabbed a jacket for her just in case, and tossed her a hat. "I'm gonna phase, so jump on my back, okay? We have a long run," he said.

"Where are we going?" she asked excitedly, her eyes bright. He gently tugged the fleece hat down on top of her curls before opening the front door.

"Somewhere I really hope you'll like," he said before pulling her outside. She laughed and waited patiently as he phased in the driveway. Once he was in wolf form, he nosed her playfully until she climbed on his back.

His paws hit the ground so rapidly that it felt like he was flying. This was the part he loved - the speed and wild feeling that came along with being phased. Having Renesmee on his back was an added bonus. She crouched against his shoulder blades, her fingers gripping his reddish fur as he ran. Her legs clung to his sides, holding on tight as he tore through the forest, over hills, jumped streams, and across snowy fields. Further and further he ran as the hours ticked by. Soon, he realized with relief that his surroundings were starting to look familiar. Renesmee started to sit up and look around as he slowed his pace purposely so that she would notice the scenery too. He slowed to a trot, breathing deeply as he admired the place he had chosen from his memory.

The tall pines stretched out in a protective barrier around the small mountain lake. The moonlight shone down on the crystalline water, the surface rippling slightly with the spring breeze. Snow still covered the ground, but spring was definitely in the air. The location he had selected was elevated, boasting a view of the valley below. The sloping hills around the small body of water gave it privacy from the harsh Canadian winds, giving it an almost private feel.

Renesmee climbed down as he stopped, her breath forming small white clouds in the chilly air. Her brown eyes were wide as she stared at it.

"It's so beautiful here," she breathed, leaning back to look up at the sky. "Look at the stars! We rarely get to see them like this in Forks….oh my gosh, Jake…it's so lovely."

He snorted, crouching down. Before he could think about it, he was on two legs again. Pulling on his jeans, he smiled at her. "So you like it?"

She nodded, walking over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hugged him against her and smiled.

"You knew I would. What is this place?"

He chuckled and reached up, touching her cheek. Smiling down at her, he rubbed his thumb across her flushed skin, getting momentarily lost in her warm brown eyes.

"Someplace I came before I knew about you. When I was sad…and lonely. This view was the only thing that made me feel a little better about things, and I wanted to share it with you now."

"I love it," she said. "It's so…you."

He laughed as she turned around in his arms to lean her back against his chest. They both stood, gazing out at the picturesque lake. It sparkled as the water rippled gently, and she had a hard time tearing her eyes away from it.

"I never want to leave," she whispered.

"I was…actually hoping you'd say that," he murmured, leaning his chin on the top of her head.

"You wanna stay here forever?"

"About that long, sure," he replied, rubbing his hands down her arms. They were both quiet for a few moments as they gazed out at the scenery displayed before them. The wilderness was quiet except for the gentle breeze and the hoot of an owl.

Jacob sighed, kissing the top of her head. "I want to build a life with you, Ness."

She leaned back against his collar bone, smiling up at him. "Well then let's do it. But what does this place have to do with that?"

He smiled. "I was hoping you'd want to start out our life together….here. With me."

A bright smile lit up her face. "Really?"

He nodded. "Sometime…when we're ready. It doesn't have to be tomorrow, but…what would you think of living up here?"

She turned, gazing out at the trees, the lake, and the stars. It all seemed like a movie or a painting.

"Ness?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think?"

She thought a moment, trying to gather her words. "I think this is another one of those moments that doesn't feel real," she admitted softly. "But I like it."

"So is that a yes?"

She turned in his arms, facing him once again with a bright smile. "That's a definite yes!" she said, hugging him against her. Looking around, she laughed and pressed her hand to his cheek. Jacob closed his eyes as the picture of the homey-looking, quaint log cabin appeared on the hillside where they stood, looking as if had been there for fifty years.

"You want a cabin?"

She nodded, removing her hand.

"I'll build you a cabin, honey. Let's do it!" he said excitedly, hugging her. She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around in a circle, looking around them excitedly.

"It'll be ours, Jake. All ours. And we'll make it ourselves and live here, just the two of us."

"Yeah…_just_ the two of us," he laughed.

"When can we do it?"

"We can start this summer. We can come up here and work on it whenever we want. This is gonna be our life someday….and we'll love it up here, I just know it," he said firmly, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Does Dad….know?"

Jacob nodded. "He's already agreed to it. The entire family is moving up here the next time they have to move. It will be soon," he said softly, looking down at her. She turned her head, gazing out at the lake again.

"As long as you're with me…I can face anything," she finally said.

Jacob laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the tall trees. "Is that your brace face?"

"Yes", she admitted with another laugh.

"So be it then."

Lifting herself up on her tiptoes, she sealed her words with a kiss.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After returning home from their night in Canada, winter continued to slowly drag on. Jacob had tried to take Embry's words to heart about being a teenager with his imprint, but he was growing antsy for summer to finally come to Washington. They felt cooped up, and even though the cold didn't bother them physically, it still made both of them impatient for spring.

Renesmee was in love with the idea of building a house with him eventually, but they still had a while to go before that would happen. As the end of Edward's six month plea came closer, Jacob found himself getting more and more antsy. He and Renesmee had gone to Seattle to go shopping, then had gone to countless movies and bonfires on the beach with his pack, and had had many late night make out sessions in the cramped cab of his truck. Yet, they still found each other growing impatient for their coveted alone time. As much as Jacob wanted to respect Edward, he found it harder and harder to keep his hands off his daughter.

Jacob was sitting at the kitchen table one late March evening with Billy when he heard it. The soft purr of the car engine as it hit the gravel lane that led to their house. His eyes flicked up to meet Billy's, and he watched his father's amused expression. Very few people in the area could afford a car that could run that quiet.

When the car stopped in the driveway, he finally heard a short honk. Even though he was a grown man, Jacob still looked at his father for approval.

"Just be careful," he said in his low, calm voice. Jacob pushed away from the table, not making eye contact with his father again. The gravel crunched under his feet as he walked out to the rarely used black Mercedes sedan sitting in the driveway.

He opened the door and slid in. He was immediately assaulted by Renesmee as she propelled the upper part of her body at him. Instantly, her lips were on his and he felt his body start to react to her.

"I missed you," she whispered between kisses. His hand wove itself into her coppery curls as he kissed her, savoring the taste.

"Did you just hunt?" he asked, running his tongue over his lips.

She pulled away, her eyes wide. "Yes…I'm sorry. Do I…taste bad? Like blood?"

"No," he shook his head. "You actually just look….kind of wild."

She grinned at him in the dark car, flashing her teeth. "I _feel_ kinda wild. And I missed you," she repeated. "I had to see you before I went to sleep. I know you have patrols-"

"-Not 'til later."

"So?"

"Let's go somewhere," he said quickly, kissing her one more time. The mischievous light in his eye let her know that he was thinking and needing the same thing she was. She bobbed her head in agreement, putting the car into drive. The tires spun on the driveway as she floored Carlisle's old car. The trees whipped past as they made their way away from his house.

"I had to get out of there," she said. "Everyone was driving me crazy….I had to leave the main house because everyone was watching a movie and…"

"And what?"

She shook her head, and he could see her start to blush. "What were they doing?"

Giggling, she glanced over at him. "Rosalie was running her fingertips on Emmett's thigh. Alice was playing with Jasper's hand…you know. I knew they were all going to want to be….alone soon."

Jacob grimaced, making a face. "Okay, um, ew."

Renesmee burst out into a loud fit of giggles. "I know, right? I didn't want to watch that. Gross. I didn't even want to be within earshot."

"I don't blame you, honey. So where do we go? What do we do now?"

"I say we get outta dodge and go have some fun of our own," she said, smiling suggestively. Jacob shifted in his seat, licking his lips.

"Now for an idea…."

"Where are we going?"

"Well…" he thought. "We can't go to my house…obviously Dad is there….is the cabin occupied?"

She nodded. "Mom and Dad are home, and Esme and Carlisle are home as well. Um….the rest of them around, um…_hunting_…."

Jacob made a face. "Well….that rules out the woods. That would suck to get caught."

Renesmee cringed at the idea of one of her uncles catching them together in the forest. The idea of having sex up against a tree again didn't seem appealing at the moment. Sighing, she looked around.

"What about the backseat?"

He made a face and looked behind them at the rather cramped looking backseat of the sedan. Turning in his seat, he looked at her forlorn expression.

_I just need you right now,_ she communicated, pressing her hand to his. He nodded knowingly.

"I need you, too," he admitted. Looking around, he had an idea. "Drive down to La Push, to the school," he said finally.

"The school?"

"Yeah. It's far enough away from where we patrol that no one…" he didn't have to finish his thought. Slamming her foot down on the gas, the car lurched forward as she drove. His fingers drummed nervously on the dashboard as she sped along the damp highway down towards the reservation's tribal school. It was where he had gone to school since kindergarten, and felt completely wrong to go there, but….he had to admit, taking Embry's advice about acting like teenagers did something to his sex drive. Ever since he had suggested that, they had gone on a slew of excursions and dates that usually ended in them making out like they were horny fifteen-year-old kids…and he loved it. He felt like he was finally getting to experience his teenage years again, except this time they were even better because Renesmee was there.

She parked in the corner of the lot closest to the woods. Nervously, she killed the engine and looked over at him.

He laughed loudly, smacking the dashboard. "Are you really nervous?" he asked, giving her a disbelieving look.

Shrugging, she nodded as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I mean…well yeah…" she giggled, looking around. "What if we get caught?"

He laughed again, looking around the parking lot. It was completely deserted. "By who?"

"I don't know…"

"Look, if you don't want to-"

"-No! I want to," she said quickly.

Giving her a cocky grin, he leaned forward. "Well alright then," he laughed. He got out of the car and into the backseat, placing himself right in the middle. "Well?"

Renesmee climbed into the back seat and straddled him, her hands shaking with nerves. This was a completely new experience for the both of them, and she was unsure of what to do all of the sudden. Pressing her hand to his neck, she showed him her thoughts. _What do we do now?_

He chuckled, flashing his white teeth at her. "Well….why don't we just…make out? If you don't want to….you know…go all the way, we don't have to, babe," he finally said. She smiled, brushing her fingertips across his cheek bones.

_Thank you. I still feel like a bad 80s movie. _

He chuckled, wrapping a hand gently around the back of her neck to pull her down to him. She met her lips with his, tentatively at first. Their kisses were timid and hesitant, almost like they were when they started. However, after a few minutes their bodies remembered each other and how to react.

"It's been too long," he murmured between kisses. She laughed against his neck, her tongue flicking out to taste his skin.

"I know," she said. "How long has it been?"

"Almost three weeks," he panted, tugging at her cardigan. The lone streetlamp in the corner of the parking lot flickered once, making them both jump.

"Oh, God," she giggled nervously, covering her face with her hand.

"No no, it's okay, just….it's okay…" he laughed, pulling her back to him. She tried to stifle her giggles as Jacob kissed her neck, slowly helping her body relax.

"I feel like I'm seventeen again…and back in high school….and doing something I shouldn't be," he said between kisses. He sucked lightly on her earlobe, making her shiver.

"You did this in…oh…high school?" she breathed, scraping her nails down his chest. Her fingerers played with the top button of his shirt as he made his way down her neck, kissing and sucking.

"No….but I always wanted to. Just didn't have the girl," he admitted, leaning back to look at her. She grinned, practically assaulting him with her mouth.

"You have the girl now," she whispered, running her tongue along his bottom lip. Jacob groaned, grinning wildly at her.

"Yes, yes I do," he laughed before kissing her again.

"So I guess now the question is….what are you going to do with her?" she whispered back, nipping at his upper lip.

"Oh…you know," he said in a low, gravelly voice as he moved one shoulder of her cardigan down. "Little of this…little of that," he teased, leaning forward to kiss her shoulder. She shivered slightly as he pulled the other shoulder down, revealing her simple, ruffled pink tank top.

"Cold?" he asked with a cocky grin. Renesmee ground herself against the hardness that was forming in his jeans, shaking her head.

"Um…no," she whispered, shaking her head. He chuckled to himself, biting his lip.

"Do you miss a warm bed?" he asked, pulling the cardigan the rest of the way off of her. His calloused hands scraped against her skin making her shiver with excitement. His warm, spicy breath blew on her neck as she sat on his lap, and it smelled so good. She just wanted to be close to him again after all of their time apart.

"Not if things are going to be like this," she admitted with another shiver. Her fingertips fumbled slightly as she attempted to unbutton his shirt. Jacob grinned, his hands growing antsy as they rested on her hips. Leaning forward, Renesmee pressed her lips against his as she cupped his cheeks. A small moan of surprise escaped between kisses as he placed his hands on her breasts, cupping her through the tank top.

"No bra again?"

"I had ulterior motives when I left the house," she whispered in his ear. Her teeth scraped against the shell of his ear, making his cock twitch against the rough fabric of his jeans.

His hands tugged at her already stiff peaks through the material of her tank top, making her writhe on his lap. He chuckled as she sucked in a breath of air, throwing her head back.

"I love when you don't wear bras. Makes thing so much more fun," he admitted, pulling one corner of the flimsy material down. Leaning forward, his mouth was drawn to her stiff nipple like a magnet. He swirled his tongue around it, teasing her. She leaned forward on his lap, giving him better access as he pleased her. Nipping gently, he felt utter satisfaction run through him as he heard his imprint moan his name in appreciation. Turning his attention to the other one, he was greeted with the same reaction.

"Oh Jacob…." Renesmee moaned, her fingers intertwining in his hair. She pulled at his locks, making him suck at her pointed tip harder.

Her hand slid down his hair to his neck, playing with the smooth skin over his collar bone. With a few snaps of her fingers, the buttons of his shirt came undone. He paused his actions to allow her to help him pull the material off of his body. Next came her tank top, and it was hastily discarded on the car floor.

When their naked chests made contact, they both hissed in appreciation. "Is it bad that I want you naked _all _the time?" he asked breathlessly, letting his eyes rake down her body in the darkness. She smiled, shaking her head. A few bronzed curls fell forward, and he eagerly pushed them back. He wanted to admire her in her complete beauty.

"That can be arranged, but I'm afraid you'll have to join me," she giggled, reaching for the button of her jeans. He bit his lip and watched her unfasten her pants. Shifting her weight, she kicked off her bulky boots and tried pulling down her jeans. Jacob chuckled and winced as she cracked her head on the ceiling of the sedan. He tried to move out of her way, but it was nearly impossible in the cramped backseat. Renesmee panted slightly as she fought and kicked her way out of her jeans, and then it was Jacob's turn. His large frame wasn't equipped to be in such a tiny space, and it was a struggle for him to de-clothe himself completely. When all of their clothes were finally off, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was…an epic struggle," she giggled, brushing some of her coppery hair away from her face. He laughed, surveying the glorious sight beside him.

"Commere," he practically growled, hitching her leg across his. She settled herself on his lap, shivering yet again as her skin made contact with his hot body.

"You're so warm," she whispered, running her hands up and down his chest. He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her. Renesmee smiled against his lips before opening her mouth and letting his tongue caress hers. He moaned, entangling one of his hands in her hair and bringing her even closer to him. His other hand trailed down her side, tickling her skin.

She hissed as his warm finger slid down her thigh, tantalizingly close to her center.

"Jake," she whispered between kisses. He smiled, letting her finger barely graze her wetness. She sighed, her lips unable to move with his for a moment. Jacob slid his finger into her warmth, reveling in the way she felt like silk against his hand. Renesmee pushed herself against him as his thumb then began to make lazy circles around her clit.

"Oh,…..yes," she whispered, leaning back on his knees. He watched in fascination as he brought her closer and closer to her release using only his hand. When he added another finger, she gasped and grabbed his arm.

"Just…like that…oh…oh…umph," she moaned, biting her lip. He stared as she came around his fingers, her warmth coating him. His dick ached at the mere sign of her writhing in pleasure against his hand. Already he wanted to see her come undone again.

He watched as his imprint panted and sighed, coming down from her release. Her eyes opened as he slid his fingers out of her, his eyes still glued to her face.

"That was….mmm, fantastic," she whispered, leaning forward on his shoulder. He grinned to himself in satisfaction, reaching for his pants.

"You ready for me?"

"Yes," she purred in his ear. Hurriedly, he rolled on a condom and leaned back against the car seat with a hopeful, sweet smile. Both of them held their breath as Renesmee slid forward on his lap, getting as close to him as possible without hitting the glass of the back window. Taking his hardness in her hand, she slowly guided him in. He slipped into her with ease, each of them still holding their breath in. When she had lowered herself all the way down, they both exhaled as relief washed over them.

_We fit perfectly_ she communicated with him. He smiled, rubbing his nose against hers. His hands slid around her back, resting on her hips.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded, closing her eyes as leaning forward. He pulled at her hips, making her pelvis rock towards him before pushing them away. The feeling of Renesmee's warm body on top of his in the small area made his body tense up in anticipation.

Renesmee moved on top of him, a warm tingling sensation starting to wash over her as Jacob's hot hands coaxed her hips. Once she was accustomed to how she should move, his hands began to roam all over her back, pulling their bodies together tightly. Cupping her behind, he pulled her forward so that the tips of her nipples were brushing against his chest with every movement.

Beneath her, Jacob began to moan as her body tightened around him. The feeling of her body moving so steadily towards it's own release was working wonders on him. He felt the familiar tightening in his thighs as her moans got louder and louder. Gripping her hips, the car began to rock back and forth slightly with their frenzied pace.

"Jake…I…I'm going to…"

"Oh god, Ness…"

Their labored breathing and heavy moans filled the car as they both came, their bodies molding together like molten lava. Renesmee leaned into his neck, her face buried between his skin and the car seat as her body rippled with pleasant aftershocks of her orgasm.

"Oh god," he groaned, leaning his forehead on her shoulder. She exhaled shakily, licking her lips. Opening her eyes, she took in the sight of him beneath her. He looked so beautiful like that; spent, slightly sweaty, the positively glowing with the kind of satisfaction that only she could give him.

"Did we just finish at the same time?" he panted, wiping his brow. She nodded breathlessly, looking out the fogged up windows. Leaning down against his chest, she waited for her breathing to slow as their bodies cooled down.

When they were finally able to separate from each other, they laid in the back of the car, still trying to take in what had just happened.

"That was hot….and is going to be the source of like…every dirty fantasy I ever have," he said in a low voice, looking at her sideways. She grinned, wiping the smeared makeup under her eye.

"We fogged up the windows," she laughed, looking around them at the steamy glass. They both giggled, their laugher loud in the small car.

Jacob reached up, dragging his finger across the glass. "What are you writing?" she asked.

"You'll see," he said, still writing. He grinned a her once he was finished, and she soon had a smile that matched his. There on the glass of the back window, he had drawn a heart. Inside were three characters:

_**J+N**_

Xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A week later, Renesmee lay in bed, trying to calm her frenzied thoughts. Jacob would be there any second to say goodnight, and she knew she couldn't see him as worked up as she was. Their escapade in the car was fresh on her mind, even a week after it had happened. At the present moment, Edward was with Bella in the living room reading as they did every night, and she was trying her best to not think of anything that could get her in trouble. As wound up and frustrated as she was, it was turning out to be no easy task.

She stared up at the warm wooden boards that made up her ceiling. She knew she needed to get herself under control before she made herself even crazier than she already felt. Being this wound up near her father was not something she wanted to be.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift away, hundreds of miles north to a quiet, peaceful mountain lake. The moonlight would be shining on the surface of the water, making it look like crystals. The stars would frame the full moon, glittering without the hindrance of the clouds blocking their light. The fragrant smell of the pine trees would waft across the water, giving the clean air a fresh pine smell. She pictured where she would put their log cabin - right between two hills, nestled up by the trees.

_I would want a large deck on the back…with a nice little spot where Jacob and I could watch the stars….where we could watch the sunrise…._

"You must be thinking about me," she heard a voice. Her eyes flew open as she realized Jacob was standing at her window, his head and arms hanging over the sill. A silly grin decorated his features. She sat up in her bed, his dazzling smile making her heart rate pick up.

"I was thinking about you actually…" she said, sitting up. "I was thinking about how our cabin is going to have a nice, big, wrap around porch for us to sit on…."

She rose up on her knees, leaning over to him. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose, inhaling her scent as she spoke. "…and we're going to have a spot to cuddle up in on this porch where we can watch the stars…and maybe a sunrise or two," she added saucily. He chuckled excitedly, grabbing her cheek and pulling her to him. Kissing her sweetly, he reached forward and touched her hair.

"I think that sounds perfect. And consider it done," he replied. "Anything you want…I'll figure out a way to do it…for you."

"You sound like a prince charming," she breathed, kissing him lightly. He smiled, nodding.

"Nah, I like Big Bad Wolf better," he murmured. She sighed, leaning her forehead against his.

"I want to start our life, Jacob," she said finally. He sighed, nodding as he watched her pleading features.

"I know you do, honey."

"We just can't go on like this….I miss you. I miss having you here with me. I feel like we spent so much time apart, when all I want to do is be near you. I'm missing my other half when you're not here, Jake."

Jacob sighed, watching his imprint distress. She wound her hands in his, twisting them anxiously. "I've seen a glimpse of what it can be like, and I feel like it's being dangled in front of me. I want to be with you all the time and not have to give you up."

He watched her plead with him, and it tugged on his heart. "But Ness….you're only like…what, nineteen? If that? You're only going to be technically eight soon-"

"I'm not giving anything up, Jacob. Don't you see? I'm only happy with you. I'm only living when I'm with you. I only feel whole…." she paused, kissing him softly, "when I'm with you."

Jacob felt his resolve and his promise to Edward start to waiver. He knew he had promised her father at least six months, but it was becoming harder and harder to go with her conservative father's wishes.

_Edward, if you can hear me….help. I mean, not now, of course, but…..what am I going to do? I'm so in love with her I just want her to be happy…_

"Jake, please…."

"Nessie, we have to wait. Just please….trust me. Just enjoy this time. Trust me on this one, babe, you just have to. I love you more than my own life, and…I will do anything to keep you happy," he said, nuzzling her cheek again. She leaned further on the windowsill, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"So then let's do it….I want to start my life with you, Jacob."

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Ness….please just give it a few more months. We can't ever come back to this, honey. Ever. This time….we will never get back. We have the rest of our lives. Forever, Renesmee."

She nodded, her hopes sinking faster than a ship. Her future with Jacob now seemed farther away than ever. When would things finally work out for them?

He kissed her goodnight and told her he loved her before making sure she laid back down in her bed. As he walked through the bushes to phase back and continue his patrols, he heard a familiar set of feather light footsteps behind him.

"You know, it's pretty vampire-ish to sneak up on people like that," he said flatly, turning around. He crossed his arms and frowned at Edward, who looked at him sheepishly.

"My apologies, Jacob," Edward murmured.

"Hey you know, I could've used a lifeline back there tonight. She was begging me on her hands and knees to practically elope with her tomorrow. What do you have to say to that?"

Edward turned his forlorn gaze back toward the cottage where his daughter slept. A sadness had settled over him that Jacob didn't recognize.

"I know, Jacob. I could hear her thoughts as well as yours. And I know…." he paused, frowning. "I know how hard this is on you. You want to give her some teenage years back while she still has them, and she wants nothing but to run away and start a married life with you….have her happily ever after, of sorts."

"Exactly."

'

Edward gave him a fleeting glance before beginning to pace in a somewhat frenzied manner in front of him. Crossing his arms, Jacob watched in fascination as he witnessed vampire stress.

"I want to help, Jacob, I do."

"But?"

"But what can I do? On one hand, I do what I think is best for her…which, as we all know, has blown up in my face before. On the other hand, I let her do what she wants and she is never able to get her childhood back."

"I don't disagree, Edward."

He looked up. "I know you don't, Jacob. That is why I know this is going to be a hard decision. What we want for her isn't necessarily…best. Or right. If I've learned anything about my stubbornness….it's that. I'm not always right. I've got to accept that."

Jacob frowned, watching in mild fascination as Edward had appeared to have lost his marbles.

"I feel that way, Jacob, literally I do," the vampire in front of him grumbled. Jacob felt bad for him; Edward looked as stressed as he felt.

_I just want her to be happy, Edward. I'd give my right arm for her to be happy. I.._

"And I thank you for that, Jacob," Edward replied, coming to a stop in front of him. "But do you see my inner battle? The worry inside my mind? I think, 'do I let her run off and start her life?' or do I act as her father for a little while longer, stifling her need to grow? And is that decision even _mine_ to make?"

Jacob shifted uncomfortably, glancing back at the cabin as he thought.

_We have it tough. She's a nineteen-year-old woman that's going to be eight soon. There's no rule book for that Edward, you've told me that yourself many times. So what do we do?_

"Exactly, Jacob. What _do_ we do?"

x-x-x-x-x

I hope you enjoyed the backseat as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**As a special treat this week, reviewers will get a special sneak preview of the bonus scene that I wrote for the previous chapter. It's titled, 'Motel Room'. So, if you'd like a first look at some of the upcoming smut (and it is bad) then hit that review button! : )**

Also, I recently updated Collin and Estrella's story, 'Bottled Up Lightning' and I'm going to put up a new chapter this weekend! Enjoy!

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	53. City Lights

Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world

Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love

Like I'm the only one who knows your heart

Cuz I'm the only one who understands, like I'm the only one who knows your heart

Rihanna, Only Girl in The World

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Summer crept slowly into Forks, but it did not go unnoticed. With summer came a certain sense of freedom for the two of them. No longer a prisoner to the cold and rain, both Jacob and Renesmee took advantage of the warm air and sunshine that was so rare to the Northwest. As the wildflowers slowly but surely grew and blossomed, so did the love that the two of them shared. As frustrating as it was to no longer have any privacy together, they had grown somewhat used to curfews, parents, and simple dates. Instead of rushing time, they both made a conscious effort to slow down and treasure the time they now had. Jacob had taken Embry's advice, and the young immortals had taken the spring time to enjoy just being together without any looming fears.

Renesmee fell back against the soft grass of the meadow, basking in the sunlight. She stretched out her hands, sighing deeply. The scent of sun-kissed wildflowers invaded her nose, and she swore she could even smell the scent of sunshine. It smelled warm and fresh and brimming with something new, so she didn't even care what it was. It smelled like spring, and that was all that mattered to her. They had come here to get away and enjoy the rare sunny day in Forks, and that was just what they were doing.

She held up her hand to the sunlight, watching as the rays made her skin shimmer slightly. He grabbed her hand out of the air, pulling it against him. She closed her eyes as he ran his slightly rough, firm lips against her palm, kissing it.

"So pretty," he murmured.

Renesmee chuckled with her eyes closed, shaking her head. "Sap."

Jacob laughed. "So sue me."

"You know, I remember being in this meadow with you and mom…before the Volturi came," she said, opening her eyes. She looked to the side as Jacob leaned down beside her on one elbow.

"That's a dirty word," he muttered, picking a purple flower. She shook her head, squinting slightly in the rare, bright sunlight.

He handed the blossom to her as he laid down beside her, propped up on an elbow. She smiled, accepting it. Staring into his dark brown eyes, she felt her heartbeat quicken.

"You always do that to me," she whispered, knowing he had heard.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

They were quiet for a moment, just lying in the center of the flowery meadow. It was in full bloom and more beautiful than she had ever seen it. Or was it just because she was in love? Everything seemed more beautiful now that she had someone to share it with.

One by one, she plucked the petals from the flower, chanting 'he loves me, he loves me not' in her head. When she got to the last petal, she looked up at Jacob, who was staring off into the distance.

"Do you love me?" she asked, holding up the last silky piece of the flower.

His lips turned upwards, a smirking grin appearing on his face. "You know I do."

Turning her attention back to the flower, she let the last petal flutter to the ground.

"Promise you'll stay with me forever?"

"Nah, not forever….just….for all eternity," he laughed. She giggled with him, shoving his arm.

"Of course I'll stay with you forever. I mean…if you're not there, what's the point?"

"That must be the imprint talking," she mused, giving him a knowing wink.

"Nah…." he insisted, "That's just me wanting to be with my best friend forever."

"I'm really your best friend?"

He nodded. "Ever since I held you on the day you were born. You were just so….perfect for me. You always got me, ya know? You didn't care that I was big and smelly and could turn into a giant dog. You just thought that was so cool."

"It still is cool. What other girls can say their boyfriends can do that?"

He laughed. "Truthfully, a few, but….all in all, not many."

"I never thought I could be this happy," she said, turning on her side. Jacob stretched his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side as they lay in the grass.

"Ness….I have a feeling the best is yet to come."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jacob stared at the shiny paint of the truck, running his hand over the hood. He could remember painstakingly sanding the surface until it was smooth as silk before carefully spraying the black paint on top of it. While Renesmee was growing up and her bedtime was still eight o'clock, he would return to his shed and work on restoring the old Chevy. When he had finished, it had felt like the end of an era for him. His eyes rested on the passenger seat where Renesmee had sat many times on their dates. He could remember her bronzed locks flying in the wind as they roared down the highway towards freedom. It felt like only yesterday they were going for their 'unofficial' first date in Port Angeles, before he left for school. It all felt like eons ago; so much had happened since then.

Sighing, he walked around the truck, silently saying goodbye to it. The bank statement in his pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds; he knew he needed to sell the vehicle. He would need some funds for the plans he had for their future together, and his pride kept him from asking for help from anyone. He knew her family had more money than God, but he couldn't justify asking for a handout when he hadn't done anything to deserve one. The truck would have to go, even though it mean the world to him. However, there were more important things on his mind besides trucks these days.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Never thought you'd help me do this," Jacob muttered, stepping out of the silver car.

"That makes two of us," Edward muttered back. He closed the car door, scowling at the silver Volvo.

"Ever think of changing it up? Driving something different? You've got more money than you know what to do with…..you think you could find something more creative to drive."

Edward smirked, locking it with a _'beep'. _He patted the hood as he walked around to meet Jacob on the sidewalk.

"I guess you could say that a silver Volvo is just….sort of my thing."

Jacob rolled his eyes and walked into the store with his girlfriend's father.

Jacob was instantly uncomfortable. He had been both looking forward to and dreading this day for awhile now, and now that it was here…he wasn't sure how to react. He was out of his element, plain and simple. Therefore, he knew that bringing Edward along was crucial on a day like today.

They were greeted by a salesman who showed them to a glass case where they could see a variety of sparkling rings, each one boasting a large center stone. Jacob sat awkwardly in the chair, looking at Edward for help.

After a few moments, the man's eyes widened in recognition at Edward. Jacob turned his head to the side, looking at Edward in the corner of his eye.

_I take it you've been here before? I can practically see dollar signs in this dude's eyes, Edward, _Jacob thought.

Edward didn't look at him, but the corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smile. "He has," he replied in a low voice.

Jacob looked around the posh jewelry store, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't like stuffy places like this; all the hoity toity crap really bothered him and he didn't care for fake people. The way the salesman had already sucked up to the both of them didn't sit well with Jacob.

"I'll be back. I've got some things in the safe I'd like to bring out," the salesman said with a bright smile.

Edward returned the gesture, nodding. "Please," he urged him.

"Good God," Jacob grumbled as he walked away. Everything around him looked very shiny and _very pricy_.

"He's just doing his job. He works on commission." Edward's voice was low and calm, too quiet for human ears.

"Great," Jacob muttered. He didn't care for it, but Renesmee was worth it. He was once again reminded that he would do anything to make his imprint happy. An image of the truck he had just sold days before flashed in his mind. Sighing, he looked back at the jewelry in the case, feeling utterly clueless.

"You sold it?" Edward asked, leaning forward to look at him with raised eyebrows.

Jacob gave him a sideways glare. "Sold what?"

Edward sniffed, shifting in his chair. "Your truck, Jacob. I saw it in your mind. You sold it?"

"I needed money," Jacob hissed, frowning at him. His expression softened when he saw the look of fatherly concern on Edward's face. "I just….didn't need it anymore. It's worth a lot, and I wanted to…I needed some funds for a few things."

"You could have-" Edward began, but Jacob cut him off because he knew where he was going with it. He was _not_ one for charity.

"-No, I couldn't," he said quickly. Edward closed his mouth, leaning back in the chair as they continued to wait.

"If you think I'm going to be asking for handouts, you're wrong."

Edward paused, his golden eyes shifting around the store.

"Jacob….we have enough money to…._surely_ you didn't think you'd be left on your own?"

Jacob shrugged. "I'll figure something out. I'm good with my hands, I can find work up in Canada. Maybe logging or…. millwork or something like that."

Edward paused. "You do understand that…once you're married, what's ours is yours."

Jacob looked at him, a dark frown appearing on his features as he bit his lip. "I don't think so."

Edward snorted. "So you're just going to support my daughter on a meager income? At the risk of sounding haughty Jacob, I highly doubt Renesmee will go for that."

"She's a simple girl. She's never really been very in to all that like you Cullens. She's like Bells in that way."

"She is, in fact, still a Cullen, Jacob."

"Not for long, hopefully," Jacob smirked. Edward rolled his golden eyes at him.

"I've never been one to take charity, Edward. It's not that I don't….appreciate it…but….it feels like a handout."

Edward nodded good naturedly. "I agree with you, but you cannot really expect me to not help you at all?"

Jacob cleared his throat as the sales man returned. "She'll have everything she needs and wants, Edward. I _promise_ you that."

"Jacob-"

"-No, really. I would do anything for her. If she told me she wanted something then…you have to know I'd break my neck to give it to her. I can't….I can't deny her anything she needs. I never could, and I wouldn't to. I'd die before she was unhappy."

Edward nodded again, turning his attention to the sales clerk. Jacob sat patiently as the man in the suit presented all the typical engagement rings to him, explaining the styles and trends. However, none of them looked even remotely like anything that belonged on his perfect imprint's finger. They were all so….cheap looking and flashy. Nothing seemed right.

"I'd like to take a look around, if that's all right," he finally said. The salesman nodded, looking to Edward.

"He's just nervous. I'm sure he'll find something," Edward replied smoothly, giving the man across the counter a smile.

Rolling his eyes, Jacob stood up and began to pace around the carpeted store, glancing into the shiny glass cases. He was beginning to get incredibly frustrated when something caught his eye.

"I want to see that," he demanded.

Edward stood up quickly, flashing another smile. "Can we see that line of rings, please?"

Once the rings were out of the case, Jacob inspected them carefully. Instead of one diamond, the simple white gold band boasted smaller, sparkling diamonds all the way around it.

"It's an eternity band," the salesman explained. "The diamonds go all the way around, never ending."

Jacob looked up at him. "An eternity band?"

"Yes, sir."

The perfect circle of diamonds glittered in his hand, and he knew that he had found the perfect ring.

Now, he just had to give it to her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Where are we going?" Renesmee asked several days later. Jacob shrugged nonchalantly, trying to keep his calm.

"Nowhere special. Just date night," he mused, walking out to the separate garage on the Cullen property. She followed behind, still utterly confused.

"Jake…why are you unlocking Jasper's Porsche? Our uh…date nights aren't really that special," she laughed, cocking her head to the side. She watched him unlock it and open the passenger side door. He ignored her question.

"Well, come on," he urged, giving her an expectant look. "Sheesh," he laughed, helping her climb into the low sports car. She sat inside, looking utterly lost.

"Where on earth are we going?"

"You'll see," he laughed. "I told you….date night."

"What are we doing?"

He grinned as he walked around to his side and climbed in. The car started with a purr, and he felt his stomach start to turn nervously. Renesmee's ring burned in his pocket.

"You'll see."

"Can you give me a hint?"

"Sure."

She waited expectantly.

"So?"

"You'll like where we're going."

"That's all I get?"

"Yup."

He pulled the car out of the Cullen's driveway, roaring down the drive. He hit the interstate and took off, eager to get to where they were headed. He had paid dearly for tonight, and even though Alice had helped him plan it, he was proud to be able to say that he had paid for every penny. The piece of paper that sat next to the ring in his pocket began to burn with a need to give it to her as well. But that would come later.

"Where are we going Jake? Why did you just take the exit for Seattle?"

"Gee, I duno," he teased, flashing her his best boy-ish grin. She shook her head, trying to decide what was going on.

"Tell me," she urged.

"No," he argued back, pulling onto the main highway that led to Seattle. She bounced anxiously in the passenger seat, arranging her jeans and sweater.

"I'm dressed awfully to go to Seattle Jake…please..you'd tell me if I was dressed all wrong, right?"

"You and your dress codes," he muttered, rolling his eyes at her. She slapped his arm and laughed, her smile wide and nervous.

"Where are we going?"

"This place doesn't have a dress code," he promised, shaking his head at her. She continued to bounce nervously in the seat as she awaited what was to come. He laughed to himself, speeding along the highway.

When they reached the hotel, Renesmee was practically coming unglued. She was worried what he had planned; she knew he didn't have much money, but he also wasn't known for taking handouts.

"Jake, what's all this about?" she asked as he pulled up to the hotel's valet. He grinned, leaning over the tiny car's gear shift.

"How much do you love me?" he questioned.

"More than my own life," she answered robotically, frowning at him. "Where are we?"

"We're at our hotel," he answered, opening the door. A bellhop opened her door for her as Jacob lifted himself out of the passenger side. Renesmee watched in awe as another bellhop took the bags that appeared out of the trunk and ushered them inside.

"Jake, I…"

"Ness, just relax. It's all taken care of," he laughed. She gave him a questioning look at he took her by the arm and ushered her inside the hotel. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the luxurious surroundings of the posh hotel lobby. It was sleek and modern, and quite elegant. Definitely one of Seattle's finest.

"What…oh my God…Jake…we're just eating dinner here, right?" she asked, looking around.

"Ness," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "Ness-"

"Did my parents pay for this? Please tell me my parents paid for this," she mumbled to him with wide eyes. He smiled, trying to stay calm.

"This is worth every penny. I paid for it, if you must know. And so you have to enjoy it. Enjoy it tonight, because I'm not ever going to be able to afford to do this again," he mumbled quickly, turning around. Walking up to the front desk, he checked in quickly with as few words as possible.

"Jake, what…?"

"You'll see," he said with a wink. They were shown to an elevator, and taken to the top floor.

"This is too much," she pleaded as he fumbled with the plastic card to open the door.

"Only the best for you," he said. "But…just this once," he added with a wince. She laughed, her jaw dropping open as he opened the door.

She gazed out at the large windows that boast a view of the entire city. The space needle glowed in the distance, adding a flair to the already luminous skyline of Seattle.

"It was worth it to see the look on your face," he murmured, walking up behind her. He kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her middle. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" she exclaimed, leaning back against his chest.

"Good. You know Ness…this is the room I wanted to get you that night….I really did. But I just couldn't then…and….you deserve this…only the best," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

She felt her heart explode with warmth for the man standing behind her. Biting her lip to keep from crying, she turned around to face him.

"Which is why I have you," she whispered before pulling him down to kiss her. He smiled against her lips, pulling her against him.

The heard the bellhop drop their bags down and shut the door behind him.

"Jake," she whispered, breaking their kiss. Her mouth fell open, looking around the room. "This is so perfect! This is….this is so what we needed."

"That's my job. Imprint, remember?"

Grinning, she looked around the modern yet lavish room. "How did you pay for all of this?"

"With the last of my savings," he said sarcastically, shaking his head. "Why does it matter? I paid for it, and it's ours for eighteen lovely hours. Can't we just enjoy it?"

Her face softened as she watched him explain himself to her. "Of course we can," she said softly, reaching up to touch his face. She showed him how lovely the room was to him, and that she had made a special note in her memory to never forget how surprised and amazed she was.

"I love it," she added verbally. A slow smile crept onto his face, and soon he was grinning.

"That's all I wanted," he admitted in a raspy whisper, pressing his forehead to hers.

"What are we going to do all night?" she whispered seductively, reaching up to place a kiss on his Adam's apple. He chuckled to himself, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well first I'm taking you out to dinner," he admitted. "Someplace nice."

"Nice?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. "What do you mean?"

"Like…I get to wear a suit…and you get to wear a dress," he replied, walking over to their bags. He handed her the first one that had a garment bag tossed over it. He pulled out the suit Alice had packed for him and the separate bag with a dress for her.

"Now go get ready. We've got reservations at seven."

Her eyes went wide for a moment and she could hardly contain her excitement. Clapping her hands happily, she scampered off to the large bathroom. As much as she prided herself for liking the simple things in life, ever once in awhile she really enjoyed some of the finer aspects, such as good food, a pretty dress, and a man in a tux.

Jacob showered and dressed quickly in the second bathroom, already nervous. He wanted tonight to be perfect, for obvious reasons. Making sure the piece of paper and the ring were both in his pocket, he walked over to the window to pace. Renesmee never was one to hurry, and he was sure tonight would be no exception. Could she tell what he was going to do? Was he being too obvious? In a way he hoped she at least had a clue of what he was about to ask her tonight so that she wouldn't be so shocked.

_She has to say yes…right? _He began to bite nervously at his nails as he waited for her to finish getting ready. Shaking his head, he reached down into his pocket and touched the velvet box with the ring he had finally selected. Edward had helped him talk the price down. Hell, they had even left the store once and come back several hours later. Jacob thought all the games were ridiculous until the man had come down in price to almost half of what the price tag said. It had all been worth it.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom Renesmee was nearly beside herself with excitement as she curled her hair. She stared at her reflection in the wide, fancy mirror of the bathroom and felt her stomach flip with excitement. _Where was Jake taking her? Why were they here? _It was such a nice hotel, and Alice had packed such a formal dress….her hand suddenly started to shake as she pieced it all together.

_Was he going to purpose? _

The hair around the curling iron started to smoke and smell funny. Jumping, she hurriedly unwound it and tossed the curling iron down onto the marble counter.

"You alright in there?" he called.

"Um, yeah! Yeah…I'm fine," she managed to squeak. With shaky hands, she picked up the iron to continue working on her massive mess of curls. How on earth would she get through tonight knowing that he was going to purpose to her? She couldn't barely brush her teeth as her hands continued to shake and her mouth went dry.

_You don't know that that is what he's doing, _her mind chided her. _But what else could it be? Maybe it's just a fancy night out to celebrate…but celebrate what? _

Her mind went over countless scenarios as she stepped into the elegant, simple black dress Alice had packed for her. Smoothing down the wrinkles, she smiled at the reflection in the mirror. It fit perfectly, and was just her taste. Alice knew she didn't like to go over the top; people stared at her enough with her pale skin and wild bronze curls. Not to mention the fact that she would be on the arm of a gigantically huge Quileute man that had a face that would make statues jealous. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a fancy looking shoe box and braced herself. Alice was known for her over-the-top shoe choices, and she figured tonight would be no exception.

With a smile, she pulled opened the box with _Christian Louboutin _on the cover and opened it up. Inside were the most perfect pair of white sling back heels a girl could ask for, but they were absolutely _covered_ in shimmering rhinestones that made the shoes shimmer like diamonds.

"Oh Alice," she breathed, taking them out to admire them. Slipping them on her feet, she took a moment to gape at herself in the full length bathroom mirror. Turning to the side, she primped and vamped a bit, letting the light catch the shiny stones that lined every surface of the heels. They were _perfect. _

She managed to calm down enough to put the finishing touches on her makeup and hair before proudly prancing out of the bathroom. Jacob looked up from his chair in front of the window and his jaw dropped.

"Do I look okay?" she asked after several awkward, silent seconds had passed. He stood, closing the distance between them with a few short steps. He grasped her hands and let his eyes rake down her small body, over her dress, down her legs, and all the way to her feet.

"Jake…?"

Dropping her hands, he cupped her cheeks and brought her closer to him. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, 'I don't think you've ever looked more okay," he said, giving her a feather light kiss on her forehead. She felt her face split into a happy grin, her heart doing jumping jacks in her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered. Stepping back, she took him in. He wore black pants and a fitted white dress shirt with a simple backs skinny tie. His jacket was slung over the back of the chair where he had been sitting. He looked so handsome she wanted to peel all of his clothes off right there and ravage him.

"Dooo…you want to go?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Oh!" she was caught off guard. "Oh, um….yes, I do," she stuttered, grasping her small clutch in her hands. Nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he opened the doors for her, helping her all the way down to the car. She smiled to herself as Jacob handed the valet a small wad of bills. She knew tonight had to be somewhat special if he was tipping someone for something he could do; it always bothered him to do that. He had always hated it when her father did flashy things like that. They rode in silence to the restaurant, the expensive speakers in the Porsche baring loud music all the way there. She laughed as Jacob tried to sing along to all the current pop songs on the radio, joining in when she knew one of them.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant, she was convinced that he was going to purpose.

"The Space Needle?" she asked, jumping out of the car. She grasped his hand excitedly as she made her way up the steps to the elevator. "We're really eating at the top of the Space Needle?"

He nodded proudly, politely taking her arm. "Only the best for you. Don't say I never gave you nothing," he joked. She _'awed' _and pulled him in to kiss his cheek.

"Ulgh, lip gloss," he groaned, wiping his face. Laughing, she wiped it off his tan face. "Okay, I just won't kiss you then," she said.

He made a face at her. "Believe me, after this dinner you'll want to kiss me."

She giggled and followed him off the elevator once they were at the top. When they walked into the swanky restaurant, she tried not to be self conscious as people turned and stared. She tried to tell herself that it was just her imagination. But it wasn't. People stopped talking and watched as the petite, white skinned girl with the bronze curls walked on the arm of the tan, monster of a man. By the time they sat down, her cheeks almost matched the crimson table cloth.

"You're fine. They were looking at me," he joked, unfolding his napkin. Watching in awe, Renesmee did the same while trying to hide the impressed look on her face.

"I do have table manners you know. I had a mother once," he chuckled, picking up the menu.

"I know, I just….this is so special Jake. I….I love you all the time but moments like this just….make me really believe in all the imprint junk."

He grinned at her, shaking his head as he perused the food options for the night. _He looks so sexy there…licking his lips, all dressed up….I want to rip all of the buttons off that shirt one by one…I can't wait to get back to that hotel room…_

Jacob grinned at her and picked up the menu in front of him.

"Keep it somewhat light," she whispered, letting her foot graze up his leg under the table. His eyebrows raised, and his eyes slowly followed. Glancing over his menu, he didn't miss the suggestive wink she gave him. Resting her elbow on the table, she let her fingertip play sexily on her mouth, giving him her best wanton look.

"Some champagne?"

"Oh!" the waiter startled her, knocking over her water glass. Jacob's hand snaked out faster than lightning and caught it, spilling only a few drops on the table. The waiter's eyes went wide, but he said nothing.

"Um, yes, that would be great," Jacob said, shaking his head at her. She mouthed 'sorry' at him and put her hands back in her lap. He sighed nervously, and she didn't miss his actions. He _was_ nervous about something - but was it just the fact that they were here at a fancy restaurant? Or was it something else? Was he really going to purpose tonight? Her eyes stared at his suit jacket, wondering if there was a ring in there for her. Could it be? Was tonight possibly the night?

"Are you alright?" he whispered as the waiter poured them each a glass of champagne. She bobbed her head nervously, her mouth suddenly going dry.

"Uhm, yeah, I'm fine," she said, snapping herself out of her daze. He gave her a strange look, but didn't say anything else. Picking up her glass, she examined it.

_Don't guys sometimes put engagement rings in these things? _she wondered, looking down into her glass. It was empty, minus the champagne. Taking a sip, she shook her head at herself for how ridiculous she was being.

Jacob cleared his throat and looked at her meaningfully, sitting up straighter. She felt her heart start to pound and her breathing speed up. Was this it? Was this the moment?

"Ness….I'd like to make a toast…"

_Oh god._

"To us…and finally….being alone. To privacy, er…I guess," he chuckled, holding up his glass. She smiled, awkwardly picking up her glass of champagne and clinking it with his. Taking a long sip, she cringed when the bubbles didn't do much to help her nervous stomach. _Nervous butterflies soaked in champagne didn't do anything for a jumpy stomach,_ she noticed.

By the time the food was served, she was a nervous wreck. Several times during their conversation Jacob would pause as if he wanted to say something, but then he would merely continue on. It was almost like it was being dangled in front of her. Jacob could barely eat, even though the food was some of the best she had ever tasted.

"Aren't you going to eat more? Steak is your favorite," she said softly. He gave her a nervous smile, sitting up straighter.

"How is your food? Good?"

She smiled, trying to ignore the anxious feeling in her stomach. "The best. This is so beautiful Jake," she said, looking out at the skyline.

"I agree. The prettiest thing I've ever seen," he replied smoothly. Turning her head back to him, she smiled to see that he appeared to have relaxed a little.

"Not me…the skyline," she playfully chided him.

"Sure sure," he laughed.

_This is silly_, she thought. _I'm ruining a perfect evening by worrying about something that probably won't even happen. _

Picking up her glass of champagne, she sipped it as she gazed out the glass windows of the space needle. Reaching across the table, she put her hand on his.

_No place else I'd rather be._

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

"Dinner was lovely," she squeaked as Jacob kissed down her neck. Her back arched against the interior of the hotel's elevator several hours later. He chuckled against her skin, biting her softly just under her ear.

"Oh lord," she whispered, gripping the railing. His mouth met hers, and he kissed her with so much passion that it made her knees wobble.

"Oh lord is right. You look so good in that dress…." he growled, sliding his nose up her cheek. He sucked her earlobe lightly, making her shudder.

"Oh Jake…." she sighed, wrapping her arms around his middle. Her fingers clutched at the soft material of his dress shirt. She could feel his hot muscles rippling beneath her fingers, and she yearned to rip it away. The ride up to the top floor in the elevator now seemed endless.

"You're so sexy….you do this to me every time," he whispered, pushing his groin against her stomach. She could feel his hardness in his black dress pants against her body, and it made her bit her lip in anticipation.

Reaching down, she gave him a sly look as she grabbed him playfully through his trousers. He groaned and his eyes rolled back in his head as she fondled him.

"You're going to make me crazy…" he laughed, kissing her roughly again.

The doors dinged, signaling the elevator was about to stop. They pulled apart abruptly, still breathing heavy and looking slightly disheveled just in time for an elderly man to walk on. He smiled politely at them as they stood, looking guilty even a foot apart.

The doors slid closed and the elevator continued it's voyage up. Renesmee looked down at her hand on the rail. Jacob stroked it seductively, making her break out in goose bumps. She licked her lips, her eyes flicking up to meet his.

'_Stop' _she mouthed, and he chuckled. The man turned around, giving them another smile. He looked to be about seventy years old, and not very aware of what was going on behind him. Jacob waggled his eyebrows at her, giving her his best seductive stare.

'_I hate you'_, she mouthed, stifling her giggles as he began to stroke her wrist with his fingertips.

When the elevator finally dinged again, the man replied, "Have fun tonight, kids!" before shuffling off. They burst into laugher, flying at each other again.

"We're so bad," he laughed, roughly pulling her hips against his body. She giggled, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

"You look sexy in a tux," she purred, kissing him sweetly. He growled again, reaching down to cup her behind and pull her even closer.

"Should we see how it looks on the floor?"

"Cheesy," she snorted, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You like it."

"I love it," she laughed as the doors opened again. With vampire speed, she flew off the elevator and stood beside their penthouse door. Giving him her best sexy look, she bit her lip and smiled coyly as he walked over to her with the key.

"You look like you want something," he replied nonchalantly, ignoring her as he unlocked the door.

"You have no idea," she replied, practically pushing him inside the open door. They left a trail of shoes and clothing as they kissed and groped each other all the way to the bedroom of their suite. The sleek, modern furniture, posh décor and breathtaking sky line went virtually unnoticed as they tumbled towards the bed. They fell onto the top of the comforter in a tangled heap of arms and legs, both of them brimming with passion for each other.

Unable to control themselves any longer, they hastily removed any clothing left. He was on top of her in seconds, worshiping her body with kisses.

"I need you," he whispered urgently, running his hand down the side of her body. He hovered above her, his eyes full of need.

"You have me," she replied in a low voice, touching his cheek. He grinned at her, still elated to hear words like that come from her mouth. He set a frenzied pace and soon both of them were pushed over the edge.

He rolled off of her, both of them slightly sweaty and red-faced form their efforts. Renesmee turned on her side, pulling the sheet up around her.

"Nice," she giggled, reaching over to touch him. She trailed her fingertips lightly down his chest, her nails barely scraping his abs. He shuddered with pleasure, grinning at her.

"I was a little out of control…I just wanted you, you know? Round two later?"

"You know it," she grinned back. He smiled, reaching up to stroke her cheek.

Renesmee leaned forward, placing a lingering kiss on his lips. She loved kissing him like this; she could enjoy the work of art that was Jacob's mouth. Straddling his stomach, she pulled the sheets over their heads in a tent-like structure.

"It's a fort," she explained, brushing a few curls out of her face. Her arms went up, demonstrating how the white fabric had them encased in their own little tent. He laughed loudly, letting his hands run down her sides to rest on her waist.

"We used to build forts out of sheets and pillows when you were little."

"I remember… I loved it."

"I still kinda like it," he admitted, looking at the sides of the soft white sheets she had pulled around them. The soft lights of the hotel room shone through the thin white cotton, basking them in a dim glow. It was all so perfect that she never wanted to leave.

"Let's stay here forever," she whispered. "Just us. In this fort. Let's never go home….Would you stay here with me?"

He smiled at her in the dim light of their 'fort'. "Of course I would. I don't need anyone but you, you know that," he admitted softly. He stared up at her pale, perfect face and big brown eyes feeling his heart swell with love.

"I love you so much," she said quietly, her brown eyes sparkling.

"I love you more," he teased, his voice raspy with emotion. She laughed quietly, letting her hand slide up and rest over his heart.

"Prove it," she added with another grin.

Jacob paused a moment. "Okay. Marry me."

Renesmee's eyes went a little wide, and then she laughed. "Be serious."

He chuckled, sitting up. They were still under the sheets, so it was difficult to move much. However, he managed to reach over the side of the bed and grab his pants. Returning to their sheet fort, he watched his imprint's awe-stuck face as he opened the black velvet box.

"I'm serious. Marry me, Renesmee," he whispered, pushing the box at her.

A giddy breath escaped her mouth as she stared at the band of diamonds.

"Is this for me?"

Jacob laughed, pushing the sheet further out of her face. "Of course it's for you. If you'll have it," he added with a shy smile.

Renesmee beamed at him, pulling the ring out of the box with shaky fingers. Time slowed as she pulled it from where it was nestled in the black velvet. She slipped it on, admiring the way the band of diamonds sparkled even in the dim light of their fort.

"I love it," she breathed, holding up her hand. Her pale skin almost disappeared against the white sheet, but the band shone brightly.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes," she whispered happily, turning to give him one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," she squealed, grabbing his cheeks and planting a kiss on his mouth. He smiled as they broke apart, feeling as if he face would split in two from grinning so big.

"I love you…forever," he whispered.

"Forever is a long time."

"It's not enough," he countered back. She squealed happily, bouncing on his lap. He threw the sheet off of them with a loud laugh, jumping up again.

"There's more," he chuckled, reaching for his pants again. She watched in rapt fascination as his body twisted to reach for whatever he was searching for. He held up a piece of paper for her to look at.

"What….is this a deed?"

"Yup," he said confidently, nodding excitedly.

"For….I don't get it…what is it…."

He took the paper from her, chuckling. "Do you remember the land in Canada?"

She nodded excitedly. "Your dad and I…..well….we bought it. All of it."

"You…you bought Canada?"

He guffawed loudly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't put it past him. But no, honey, we didn't buy Canada. We bought…well _some_ of Canada, just not all of it."

A smile slowly appeared on her features. "What part?"

"The part we liked. The part I showed you. It's ours. He bought several thousand acres of it, just for all of us."

"All of us?"

He nodded. "Just your family…and, well…us," he finished softly, picking up her hand. He kissed it softly, making her giggle.

She squealed and pressed her hands to his cheeks, showing him a slew of images from her memory of that night. The trees, the mountains, the perfect lake…she loved all of it.

After calming down, she stood up with the sheet wrapped around her.

"I'm so….I don't even know what to be more excited about Jake.'

"So no second thoughts?" he asked, walking up to stand beside her. She opened her arms, pulling him into the sheet with her.

"I think you'll find that the imprinted werewolf-hybrid vampire second thought ratio is fairly low," she quipped, smirking at him.

"Right, right," he chuckled. They stood, gazing out at the Seattle skyline for a few moments together just taking in the view.

"It's so beautiful here…but I can't wait to go home and show off my ring," she said, holding out her hand. The diamonds sparkled in the dim light of the hotel room, making her eyes glow with love for it.

"You like your ring?"

"I love it Jake. It's so beautiful and sparkly…."

"it's an eternity band….that's what I liked it."

"Is is?"

"Yeah," he replied, taking her hand in his large one. She watched carefully as he explained the meaning behind her new ring.

"The diamonds go all the way around in a circle - never ending. Eternity….just like us."

She couldn't help but give him another elated smile. "It's perfect, like I said," she whispered, leaning against him. He dipped his head down to press his lips against hers again and again.

"How about we…go try out that bathtub I saw?" she asked between kisses. Pulling away, she saw a spark in Jacob's dark eyes.

"See? I knew I liked you," he chuckled, pulling her towards the bathroom. They stepped into the ornate marble bathroom together, Jacob in his boxers and Renesmee still wrapped in the sheet. The room boasted a large white bathtub as the centerpiece, complete with large glass windows that showed off the view of Seattle. They were so high up that she could see for miles. The city lights sparkled below as he began to fill the large tub up for them.

"This is so beautiful. This reminds me of something you see in those architectural magazines and wish you could have someday," she breathed, walking up the tile steps to the tub. He chuckled, walking up to where she stood at the window, admiring the view.

"We could have a tub like this. Overlooking our lake."

"Where?

"At our house. Well, our future house," he replied, taking her hand. He pulled her into the large bathtub with him, settling against the sides She leaned against his chest as the hot water coated their bodies.

"This keeps getting better and better Jake."

"I hope so. So you what else should we build?"

"You mean…we really get to build our own house?" she asked, her eyes full of excitement. She turned around in the water to look at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Of course…I told you…I'd do anything to make you happy. And, well….when you got so excited about seeing it, I knew we had to do it. I told you Nessie….anything."

"I love you so much, you know that? I can't wait to start my life with you."

Throwing her arms around him, she kissed his neck firmly and breathed out a happy sigh of relief. It looked like she was going to get her happily ending after all.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Awww, right? This story needed a fluff chapter, and that's what this was. I hope you enjoyed it! For those of you who are smut lovers, be sure to check out the second chapter of outtakes for this story - I posted it last weekend, but I didn't want anyone to miss it. It's extremely M-rated, so you've been warned. It can be found under 'Touch Me; The Untouchable Outtakes' and is titled, 'The Motel Room.' Enjoy!

**As another special treat for this chapter, I've posted a special pic page on my blog for all of you visual people. Included are pics of Renesmee's ring, the hotel room, her outfit, etc. The link for my blog is found on my profile page. **

We're almost done! Up next is the final chapter, and then the epilogue. Sad, right? Either way, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so _please review!_


	54. Just Be

_If I wasn't by your side_

_I'd never be satisfied_

_Nothin' would feel just right_

_If I wasn't by your side_

'_Cause I'm not easy to understand_

_But you know me like the back of your hand_

_I'm your girl and you're my man_

_And we're makin' plans_

_We can go on and on_

_Won't ever feel too long_

_I'll always call you home_

_And we'll go on and on_

_Miranda Lambert - Makin' Plans_

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Chapter 54: Just Be

He gripped her hand as she walked along, the lights of the Farris wheel reflecting in her eyes. Her hair swayed lightly in the late summer breeze, and the gravel of the fairground crunched under her sandals as she walked. Renesmee's bright, flowery strapless summer dress clung to her in all the right places, her hair pulled to the side in a messy braid, exposing her shoulders. None of it went unnoticed.

Human boys stared at her openly as she walked, her bright coppery hair and pale skin drawing more than just envy. People stared at the beautiful girl as she walked thought the crowd of the Port Angeles Old Settlers day carnival.

A warning growl rumbled deep in his chest as they walked along. Renesmee's eyes flicked up to his, answering the noise only she could hear.

"_Stop," _she chided, a hint of a smile flickering across her features. He bit his lip, casting her a sideways glance.

"I hate it when guys look at you," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

They had been at the carnival for several hours; just walking around and enjoying the late summer evening. They had fed the animals at the petting zoo, explored the wide array of food, and had people watched just for fun. She picked at the pink cotton candy he had gotten just for her, placing a fluffy bite on her tongue.

"Stupid punks," he muttered, his voice somewhat loud as another young boy and his friend nearly walked into pole while staring at Renesmee.

"This is why I don't go out in public often," she giggled, taking another bite of cotton candy.

Jacob shook his head, reminding himself that tonight wasn't the night to get stupid and jealous; tonight was about carefree fun with Renesmee.

They wove through the crowd of people, trying to act oblivious to the stares. They tried their best to blend in, but the towering, muscled Native man and the ivory skinned, red hair goddess did anything but.

Renesmee gazed up at him, the familiar butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She got that way every time she caught a glimpse of his picturesque side profile. He was just so handsome and perfect; she had always believed that a replica of him would make a perfect statue in a European garden somewhere. _And there he was, being the jealous one_. Shaking her head, she wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him.

"Too bad I don't see them looking at me…I'm too busy looking at something that's much better," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"Is that so?" he countered back, gazing down at her. Renesmee smiled, leading him over to the Farris wheel. They sat down in one of the buckets, pulling the bar down across their lap.

"It is," she admitted with a coy smile.

"You're all mine," he whispered against her ear.

Renesmee smiled as the ride began, looking down at her ring. It sparkled in the dim light of the flashing carnival lights, flashing as each of the diamonds caught the light.

"I do love my ring."

He smiled with satisfaction. Even he had to admit, the ring he had chosen for her ended up being perfect. It was simple and elegant, yet with just the right amount of flash to be perfect for his imprint.

"Will you kiss me?" she asked dreamily, resting her head on his shoulder.

He laughed. "Do you have to ask?"

"No, I guess not," she giggled back.

"Isn't it corny to kiss your girl on the Farris wheel?" he asked.

She snuggled into his side, shrugging. "I suppose it is; but that's okay. I need corny; I crave it. Corny is normal."

"So be it," he replied, leaning down slightly. Renesmee felt her stomach flutter again; she wasn't sure if it was from the ride or from Jacob's kisses. Either way, she felt like she was floating mid-air as he brushed his lips against hers in a tantalizingly slow manner.

"I'll never get tired of that," he whispered, breaking apart. She opened her eyes, gazing up at him.

"I don't think I ever will either."

Renesmee turned, looking out at the lights of Port Angeles. It was the last day of August, and the official end of summer for most people. The carnival was the last fun thing to do before the weather turned terribly cold and rainy for the winter, and Renesmee and Jacob were taking full advantage of it. They had stuck to their promise to each other that summer; most of their time was spent together, planning for their new Canadian home, their wedding, and sometimes just taking the time to do simple things together as a couple, like that night.

"I love Farris wheels," she sighed, leaning back against the seat. Jacob stretched his arm around her shoulders, turning to look at her. She was so incredibly lovely and perfect that it didn't seem fair. He had waited so long for her that it almost seemed like a dream that they were finally going to get their happy ending.

"You're sure you want to marry me?"

She lifted her head off his shoulder, grinning. The lights from the carnival caught her sharp teeth as her warm brown eyes lit up.

"Of course I do. It's the best birthday present I could ever ask for," she replied, kissing his cheek. Her lips lingered on his hot skin, making him groan.

They were to be married in less thank two weeks; Renesmee had chosen to be married on her birthday. Since she would no longer be aging, she decided that a better way to celebrate every year was with her wedding anniversary instead.

"Don't tease me, woman," he growled playfully, cupping her cheek. Renesmee laughed, shaking her head at him.

"I'm not!"

"You're sure you want marry my ugly ass on your birthday?"

She giggled, tossing her head back. "Yes! Of course I do! Think about last year on my birthday and how…just how miserable we both were. I think this year…we deserve to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than to get married?"

Jacob nodded, resting his forehead against hers as the ride continued. She smiled, cupping his cheek with her hand.

_I love you…don't you see?_

He smiled weakly, nodding. "I just want you to be sure. This is forever….literally."

Renesmee smiled, giving him a light kiss on the lips. "Even forever isn't long enough for me to love you right."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The cool water hit her face as she dove in. The bubbles blocked her vision for a few seconds as they rose to the surface, leaving her in a shimmering, calm abyss of the water. Opening her eyes, she paddled down to the bottom of the lake. After a few minutes, she selected the perfect looking rock and grabbed it. Squinting a bit, she wiped the mud away, examining the round, pale rock as it caught a bit of the sunlight from up above_. Perfect. _

With one hard push, her body sailed upwards until she broke the surface. She swam to the bank, balancing the rock on her hip as she shook off all the excess water.

Walking up the sandy shore of the mountain lake, she wove around the few rocks and boulders that were scattered about, admiring the start of a dock that Jacob was building. It stretched out on the water with a small platform about fifty feet out, perfect for two chairs. If she focused hard enough, she could picture them there together, watching a sunset and holding hands. Smiling to herself, she glanced up the gently sloping hill to the outline of the log cabin. The bottom portion was completed, with a basement that walked out to what would be their backyard that overlooked the lake.

"How's this one?" she asked, letting it drop to the ground with a thump. Jacob looked up at her, his eyes glazing over as she stood in front of him in her black shorts and bikini top.

"So great," he breathed, admiring the way the sunlight gleamed off of her skin and making it shimmer.

"Not me, you goof….the rock. Is that the right size?"

He chuckled, picking up the large rock she had selected from the bottom of the lake. He placed it on the corner, securing it with mortar.

"Perfect. That does it for this corner I think," he said, standing up. He stretched, his joints sore from crouching on the side of the house for so long. They both stood back, admiring his handiwork on the corner of the halfway constructed log cabin. She glanced up, her eyes moving all the way up the massive structure. Jacob had finally caved and let Edward help him out by paying for part of the cost of the materials for their Canadian home. Jacob's only criteria was that Edward let him build it himself and not pay for any labor.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Renesmee asked, glancing at the open roof. He chuckled, brushing the dried mortar off his hands.

"Sure….well….sorta," he admitted.

Their house had been started several weeks before, and even thought they didn't know exactly what they were doing, the adventure had been half the fun. Renesmee had selected a place on a slight hill overlooking their mountain lake, secluded by the trees and with a perfect view of the sunsets. The foundation had been dug, and soon their country log cabin had been started. Construction had been slow - at first, only a few of Jacob's pack came up to help them on the weekends. However, tonight her family was coming up to help them put up more of the heavy logs that would be the outer walls of the cabin and eventually the roof.

"It's going to be so beautiful, Jake," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his torso. She winced playfully at the light sheen of sweat that had pooled on top of his tawny skin, but he only pulled her closer. He pressed a kiss to her coppery head as she rolled her eyes.

"Let me go," she ordered.

"Fine," he answered, mussing her hair. She scowled playfully at him as she stomped away a few feet.

"Hey, that's no way to look at the man you're marrying in a few days," he reminded her. Renesmee smiled to herself, tossing him another teasing glance over her shoulder.

They would be married in a few days, she reminded herself_. In less than four days, Jake will be mine forever. _The words alone echoed in her mind, making her skin flush slightly.

With one graceful leap, she scaled one of the tall logs that served as a pillar to the balcony off of what would be their living room. Glancing over her shoulder, she tossed him a flirtatious glance.

"Show off," he muttered. Dropping the towel he was using to wipe his brow, he took a running leap and scaled the pole almost as gracefully as she did. He landed on the balcony with a soft thump.

"Impressive," she mused, raising an eyebrow at him. He chuckled, turning to lean on the railing overlooking the mountain lake before them.

"I hope we get to spend a lot of mornings out here," she said softly, her bare feet crossing the wooden planks of the deck. She stood beside him, admiring the way his profile looked in the late afternoon sunshine. He turned to look at her, smiling softly.

"I think that….if we play our cards right….we can stay here for quite awhile," he figured out loud. Nodding, she leaned against his arm that was propped against what was built of the railing.

They gazed at the sun as it began it's slow decent below the mountain tops in the distance. The view before them looked more like a painting than a backyard. Below their balcony, the grassy, overgrown ground that would be their lawn stretched for at least a hundred yards before fading into a sandy beach that led to the small lake.

"I would stay here forever with you…if you'd stay here with me. Would you?"

He looked at her strangely. "Are you being sentimental?"

Renesmee pursed her lips, staring forward. "Maybe. Maybe it's the fact that….like you said, we're getting married in a few days."

"Are you nervous?"

"No," she scoffed. "You can't be nervous about fate."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Well….maybe," she admitted with a wry smile. "Getting married for…forever…that can make you a little nervous."

He laughed, coughing slightly. "Just…just think of it as…like, we'll always get to hang out. Just the two of us. And…if you decide you hate me, then…your mom and dad will be just over that hill over there," he mused, pointing off to the west.

"What makes you think I'd ever hate you?"

He shrugged playfully, walking up behind her. He nuzzled the back of her neck, making her skin break out into goose bumps. "Nothing in particular will make you hate me…just when…when I'm an ass. And pig headed and illogical and just being…well…_me_. And…when you're stubborn, and whiny, and being a typical girl. You know, when we fight."

She laughed, turning her head to glance over her shoulder at him. "What will happen then? When we fight?"

He shrugged, kissing her shoulder. She closed her eyes, leaning back against his chest.

"You know….you'll go to…your parents," he replied between kisses. His hands slid down her side, grabbing her waist. He pulled her against his groin, rubbing himself suggestively against her rear. "You'll whine to them, like you always do. You know, '_Dad, Jacob is being an ass again!_'…you know how you do."

"I sound like that, do I?" she asked, sucking in a shallow breath. He nodded against her skin, running his lips up the side of her neck.

"Oh yeah…" he lightly bit her earlobe, making her quiver. Renesmee sucked in a shallow breath, gripping the temporary railing the was in front of her on the deck.

"Then what happens? You know…in the…future," she gasped between labored breaths. Jacob's hands rose up in a tantalizingly slow manner, cupping her breasts through her still damp bikini top. He squeezed them gently, making her moan softly. He ground himself against her ass again, reminding her just how much he needed her…how much he would _always _need her.

"Well…I'll phase…and go for a run. Blow off steam, you know….the usual," he replied, exhaling against her ear.

"Then what?"

"Then I'd come back here…_home_….and wait for you til you came back. You'd be all angry and red in the face like you get….and I'd just phase back. Maybe let you yell at me some more."

"You'd let me yell at you?" she asked, biting back a smile. She gripped the railing harder as his fingertips slid back down her bare skin, dipping below the top of her shorts.

"Oh yes," he replied in a deep, gravelly voice. "I'd let you scream and yell, maybe even give me a shove. I'd wait until you were good and pissed. Because you know I will probably deserve it," he admitted, dipping his hand lower. It brushed against her womanhood, making her drop her head and exhale sharply.

"You're killing me," she whispered, biting her lip. He dipped his hand lower, finding her sensitive bud. He rubbed her gently from behind, his fingertip rubbing magical feeling circles against her skin.

"Oh…" she breathed, throwing her head back against his shoulder. He continued to pleasure her with one hand, his other wrapped around her stomach.

"And then….then I'd phase back."

"Oh?" She panted, squeezing her eyes shut. The slow, varying pattern he was using to work her was making her see double. Her eyes focused on the setting sun as he pushed her shorts down further. He sucked in a breath, dragging his lips against her shoulder.

"Then I'd be standing in front of you-"

"-You're wild-looking after you phase."

"I know, right?" he chuckled. He lightly flicked her clit, making her moan and roll her hips.

"Then…" she prodded between clenched teeth. She wanted nothing more than to lean forward and sink her teeth into the wooden railing to mask her wails of pleasure, but she held back.

"Then I'd take you in my arms…and pin you up against the nearest tree. And just _take you_," he practically growled in her ear. He rubbed her faster, his fingers and their rhythm making her knees shake. He stroked her again and again, the warm, tingling feeling clouding her vision and making it harder to breathe. She was glad they were out in the wilderness miles from civilization; she didn't think she would have the common sense at the moment to tell him to stop. They could have been in the middle of Times Square and she wouldn't have noticed.

"Oh…oh god," she gasped, her knees shaking. Jacob chuckled darkly, continuing his efforts.

"Yeah. '_Oh God' _is right. I'd just take you up against the nearest tree…and we'd smash forests together…wouldn't we?"

She nodded, still unable to form words as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers.

"Mmmhmmm," she managed to choke out. He let out a hot breath against her shoulder.

"We'd destroy it. Just you and me….completely _wild_ for each other. We wouldn't even fucking _notice," _he whispered in her ear. "I've dreamt about that with you, you know. Just losing all sense of who are and just…nothing else will matter but the two of us. I could go for _days_ like that. Nothing but you, me, and the wilderness…together," he growled.

Renesmee sucked in a sharp breath, closing her eyes again as the familiar feeling came over her. Picturing herself pinned up against a tree, Jacob's tan body melting together with hers….she was close now. His fingers sped up, rubbing her into complete bliss. Her body shook as she gripped the railing, reveling in the feeling he was giving her. His free hand rose up to cup her breast as his mouth found her neck. He sucked on the pale skin there, his tongue flicking against the place where her neck met her shoulder. She came undone with one last shivering quake.

"Then I'd make you feel that….two or three times," he whispered, pulling his hand from her shorts. She leaned forward on the railing, panting wildly. Turning around, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Make-up sex with you will be amazing," she gasped, still breathless. He laughed, dipping his head down to kiss her. Their tongues mingled briefly, tasting each other.

"Explosive," he agreed. Renesmee laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she tried to collect herself. Her whole body felt tingly and warm, and she suddenly felt like she could sleep for years.

He pulled away, running his hands down her curly bronzed locks. "I agree. I can't wait to fight," he replied with a smirk. Renesmee pulled up her shorts, arranging herself again.

"Troubles?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes and looked back at the pretty view. The sun had almost set, but the view was still spectacular as the light prepared to dip below the mountains.

She would officially never tire of _that_.

With a deep sigh, she surveyed the surrounding land, grateful that they were still along. Her parents were planning on building their own cabin just over the next hill, slightly up the neighboring mountain. Her aunts, uncles, and grandparents were also planning on building in the area. Carlisle and Edward had bought up all the neighboring anchorage, ensuring the family's hunting needs, and the remote location was ideal to their cause. They needed to lay low for a few decades after living in the public eye of Forks for so long, and they knew that the Canadian backwoods were just the place to do that.

"We're going to have to be alone for a long time."

He shook his head, moving to stand beside her.

"Nah. We'll have your family. Plus my pack. They'll come up every once and awhile and annoy us I'm sure."

"You know what I mean," she said softly. "We'll have to lay low for awhile, Jake."

He chuckled, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around. "I told you. You're all I need."

Renesmee raised an eyebrow. "You won't miss Billy? And your sisters?"

Jacob's face grew somber for a moment. His eyes flicked upwards, meeting hers. "I'll miss them. And they can always come visit me. They know…about all this. It's no secret to them. But….the moment I realized you were immortal….I just kinda knew, Ness. I figured that…that I would always live this lifestyle. I would always be outliving my friends and family, moving around…you know. But it would be okay. Because you would be there. Don't you see?"

She nodded. "I do," she admitted, sliding away from his grasp. She gave him a sad smile over her shoulder as she walked towards the half-completed house. Stepping inside the frame of the uncompleted cabin, she looked back at him again. He followed after her, stepping into the large, exposed platform that would someday be their home.

Renesmee leaned on a support beam, brushing her damp hair away from her face. "Are you sure it's worth it?"

He chuckled to himself, jamming his hands in his pockets. "Pretty sure at this point, yeah."

She grinned her herself, looking at the floor. He walked over, his bare feet making close to no sound on the smooth wooden surface. With a deep sigh, he walked up behind her.

"You're my family now. This is my home. Don't you get it?" His voice was soft yet firm, and quite convincing.

Renesmee looked up at him, her fingers curling around the smooth wood of the beam she leaned against. "Don't I get what?"

Jacob sighed, stepping closer to her. He took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "You're my home now. Wherever you are…that's all I need."

A happy sigh escaped her as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Her arms snaked around his naked torso, resting on the tops of his worn khaki shorts.

"This will be our home. I'm ready to have our own story…but I'm ready for it to be here."

"Really?"

"Really. I'm ready to just…_be_. I want to be here with you, and no one else - I want to have our own home and our own world and just…be," he repeated.

"Be?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. I mean…I can see here, Ness. I can see us here for a long time, together. I think that's just the way it's gonna be."

"That's really sweet," she whispered, trying not to cry. At least by this point they would be happy tears, she thought.

He hugged her again before releasing her. He ambled around the open floor for a second, gazing up at the beams proudly.

"What's this area?"

Renesmee smiled. "That will be the living room. Remember?" She pointed to where the large, stone fireplace rose up nearly two stories.

Jacob waggled his eyebrows at her. "Pretty fancy," he mused, winking at her. She rolled her eyes, following him on his tour. "How many people do you know that are going to have fireplaces in their bedrooms?"

She grinned to herself at his pride. He was ecstatic to be building such a beautiful, elaborate house with her and she knew that he was glad it was finally all coming together.

"And here?"

"The kitchen….the plumbing goes up that side," she pointed out.

"Ah. And here?"

"Maybe an office?"

"Sure, sure."

"What will the third floor be for?" he asked, looking up at the skeleton like-structure.

She shrugged, giving him a blank look. "I don't know…guest rooms?"

"I think…." he said, sauntering up to her. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her against his chest. "I think it's where our kids will sleep. We'll give each one of them a room. One, two, three," he counted, pointing to the imaginary space above them.

"Jake…" she said slowly, leaning her forehead against his chest. "We don't know that that will ever happen."

He smiled, holding her head against his chest. "Of course it will."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked after a few seconds. He sighed, staring out at the sun as it began to dip below the mountains.

"How can you not be?" he countered back. She raised her eyebrows, considering his question. Sure, they hadn't ever tried - they had used protection every time they had been together for the simple fact that they wanted to actually be prepared if she should happen to get pregnant - in the back of her mind, she had always viewed her birth control as a silly aspect, but one that Jacob took seriously.

"I don't think I can get pregnant, Jake," she whispered into his chest. He sighed, rubbing circles on her back with his large, warm hands.

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

He pulled away from her, brushing her hair away form her face. Her curls had air-dried completely messy and frizzy, and were hanging in knots down her back. He twisted a tendril of it around his finger, watching the way the silky strands shone in the late sunlight.

"Because you're beautiful."

"That's not a reason," she replied stubbornly.

"You didn't let me finish," he replied calmly. She bit her lip to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes.

"You're beautiful…._so beautiful_…that I don't think it would be fair to keep it all to yourself. The way you look…your eyes…your hair…your skin…it's all too much. You can't get away with being that pretty. You've got to share it. I just think that…whatever higher power there is out there…" he said, gesturing to the sun setting over the mountains, "Would let you share it with someone. Well…not just anyone. With our kids."

She bit her lip again. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Jake," she whispered. He smiled, holding her cheeks in his hands.

"It's true. Besides….who else could counter all of my ugliness? I mean…I have the weirdest nose. But _your_ nose…your nose is perfect. It's the prettiest nose I've ever seen. I figure…that nose mixed with my nose…well, it would still end up being a really pretty nose."

"You're a goon."

"But you love me."

"Yes, yes I do," she laughed, wiping her eyes.

"Hey now, no tears. What's the worst thing that could happen? We'll have lots of friends around…and nieces and nephews thanks to my sisters. And…we can spend all eternity trying," he added with a wink. She smiled, brushing more tears away.

"Do you remember Kaure, from Isle Esme?"

"The cleaning lady?"

Renesmee laughed, nodding. "Yes, her. She…she said I could. With a strong man. She told me I'd have to be tough, because…well, I think she told me that it would be a strong baby."

Jacob looked at her skeptically. "Yeah but….that's just like…legends and stuff, none of it could be true. We can't go by that."

"But….she was right about me, ripping my way out of my mother," Renesmee pointed out. Jacob winced, not fond of that memory.

"Sorry," she muttered, clasping her hands behind his neck. He nodded, leaning his forehead against hers.

"If you can't have kids, then…we won't have kids. We'll have our friends and our family…and each other. That's all we need, right? If history has proved anything, it's that we need each other most. I can live with you - that's more than I ever thought I would have for a while there, Ness. You're more than enough for me."

"You're more than enough for me too, Jake," she replied, choking up slightly. He gave her a tight hug.

"I hope I can be."

"You are," she sniffed into his neck. "I think about that sometimes. I've known so much love in my life…from family…from friends…from others," she admitted, thinking of Stefan. "But only you can love me like this. Only you can make my heart feel this…this…full. Happy. Content."

He smiled. "You have a way of making things so much more poetic than I ever could," he chuckled, hugging her against his chest again. "We're going to be so happy here. You're going to be so happy here, and that's all that really matters to me."

Renesmee lowered her head, pressing it against his bare chest. Concentrating, she let the sound of his steady beating heart calm her.

Their wedding was in a few days. She was emotional anyway, and the mention of whether or not they could have children was a little more than she could take at the moment. They had been up at the cabin all weekend long, enjoying some peace and quiet before the big day. Her family would be there in a matter of hours to help them build, and she knew that it would be slightly hectic from there on out.

"Come on. Enough of the serious talk. The worst is behind us now, and that's all that matters," he urged, rubbing comforting circles on her back. Renesmee sighed, melting into him a bit. Picking her head up from his chest, she managed to smile.

"Yes. Yes it is," she mused, glancing out at the sunset. They continued to walk around their partly constructed home, pointing out things they were excited about for the next hour. As the sun dipped below the mountain, they heard the rumble of a few trucks and smiled to each other.

"They're here," she smiled softly. They had been up there working for a few days now, and she was excited to see her family members.

"Gang's all here!" Emmett whooped, hopping out of his jeep. He was pulling a trailer full of supplies and various other items, and behind him was Jasper in another large truck. Alice hopped out, appearing next to them in a flash.

"Who's ready to build?" she asked, giving them a wink. She glanced up at the structure around them, her eyes glazing over.

"Oh yes….this will be marvelous. We'll decorate it in rustic mountain chic."

Renesmee rolled her eyes as she hugged her aunt. "Alice….we need walls first," she groaned.

Esme appeared next to her, as did Carlisle and Rosalie. "That's what we're here for. To do all the heavy lifting," Esme trilled in her melodic voice, pulling on her work gloves.

"Thanks grandma," Renesmee breathed, walking up and embracing Esme. Esme pulled away, her golden eyes shining.

"This is going to be a beautiful home. I'm so happy for you dear," she whispered in her smooth, comforting voice. "I brought you a present!" she remembered, reaching into her purse. Renesmee's face lit up as she was presented with a bright yellow rubber ducky.

"A rubber ducky!" she laughed. "Was this mine?"

Esme nodded. "I saved it for you. Maybe…someday you can play with it with your children," she added hopefully. "You used to love bath time, and…this always gave you so much joy those first few weeks."

Renesmee felt a pang of doubt ripple slowly through her. Even if everyone else was sure she could conceive, she still wasn't sure she could.

"I'm ready to move some freaking logs tonight!" Emmett boomed, clapping his hands together. Jasper gave him a smile, nodding in agreement.

"Someone is needing a house put together I hear," he said in his soft southern accent.

"That we do," Jacob nodded, shaking her uncle's hand. Renesmee felt her heart swell with pride as Jacob didn't even flinch at Jasper's cold touch. Maybe this would all be easier than she had originally thought.

Soon, Edward and Bella arrived with Seth in tow, and the building got started. Renesmee laughed at how much faster things came together when there was a team of vampires and werewolves coming together. The sounds of drills, hammering, saws and construction talk floated through the house as she tried to stay out of the way and help as much as she could. Her family moved so fast that it was unbelievable. They worked all night, hammering together their future home.

Renesmee curled up in an Adirondack chair that was out on the deck, dozing for a few hours. The sound of Carlisle carefully bending the wrought iron railing of their deck woke her up just after dawn. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking several times as he looked up at her and smiled.

"Good morning, granddaughter," he said sweetly, giving her a warm smile.

"Hi, Grandpa," she said, stretching slightly. Looking behind her, she was shocked to see actual windows in the structure behind her. The house looked almost complete, at least on the outside.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, her eyes wide as she admired the home.

"Perfect for a young couple," Carlisle replied, standing up. She did the same, stretching even more. Gazing out over the railing, she sighed in complete contentment as she watched the morning sunlight make the lake below sparkle.

"I hope you like the railing. This was my idea," he said, running his hand over the wood. She turned, looking at the beautiful railing that lined their entire back deck. The banister was made of several knotty, slender logs that had been sanded and stained a deep, rich brown. Below them, a fence of beautiful black wrought iron stakes were secured to the deck.

"This way, you can have a fence but still enjoy the view," he said proudly, running his pale hand over the railing.

"It's beautiful, Grandpa," she said, walking over to embrace his stony body. He smiled, patting her head.

"I'm so happy that you're here…and we're all here. And that you're going to have this life with the person you love."

She smiled at his sincere words, her eyes tearing up. "You make normal words sound like poetry," she mused wistfully. Carlisle smiled.

Renesmee paused, biting her lip. "Grandpa, can I ask you something?"

Carlisle picked up a paintbrush and continued applying a coat of sealant to the wooden railing. "Please," he urged.

"It might be silly," she began.

"The only silly questions are the ones never asked. Now talk," he said with a smile, gently applying the dark stain to the rail.

She paused again, wringing her hands together slightly. "You've been my doctor….my whole life."

Carlisle nodded, looking over at her with his golden eyes. "I have always had a special interest in you, Renesmee. You're a fascinating combination of love and science that I never thought would be possible."

She dipped her head, smiling to herself. "I know. But….Grandpa, in your professional medical opinion, do you think…that I can…well…have kids?"

He paused, looking up at her again. "Why would that be a silly question?"

She nodded. "Whatever it is….do you think I can? What's your professional thought?"

He turned his attention back to his task. "I don't think my professional medical opinion makes an ounce of a difference. Medical science has always been wrong when it comes to you, Renesmee. But if you want my personal opinion….then yes, yes I do. Without a doubt."

She was flabbergasted for a second. "Wait, you do?"

He nodded, glancing up at her. "I do. Renesmee….I believe that no matter what happens to us in this life…this world," he said, gesturing to the mountains before them, "that love will always find a way."

She chuckled, smiling to herself. "I agree with that, I do…but what does that have to do with it?"

"I think love can conquer all. If I've learned anything in the past three-hundred-odd years it's that….love is all that matters. Without love….none of us would be who we are. _You _wouldn't be who you are."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that….if it wasn't for the love of your grandmother, I would never be the man I am today. I would still be a creature, wandering the earth, lost. Her love holds me together, keeps me grounded."

"I know what you mean," she agreed.

"We're two creatures…two people, who…cannot have children of our own. But love found another way for us. We have six beautiful children now, and I love them as much as I would any biological child. And I believe that love is what made a vampire boy fall in love with a human girl to create you." He paused again, chuckling to himself. "The odds are always against us in some way or another is what I suppose I'm trying to say. But….I believe that if you just have faith, love will undoubtedly surprise you."

She smiled, brushing her messy copper hair out of her eyes. "You sound so sure. I guess I'm just….having trouble deciding."

Carlisle dipped his blonde head, his eyes following the ripples on the lake below. "It might not be up to you to decide. Fate might intercede."

She looked up, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes as it blew in the breeze. "Do you know something you're not telling me?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "No, Renesmee, I don't. I just have faith that love will give you the gift that you hope for. That is all," he replied.

She embraced him once again, and they walked in through the newly installed French doors. She stopped, admiring the newly constructed house around her. The doors led into a large room in the A-frame style home; the part overlooking their lake was a living room with a huge stone fireplace and mantle, and the rest of the room was open, leading to the kitchen. On the first floor they had planned for an office, a dining room, a guest room, a storage pantry, and a large bathroom. The open, airy layout gave it the feel of coziness and the light wood used on many of the main walls gave it a warm glow. Sunlight poured in through the tall windows in the living room, giving the entire first floor a coppery glow.

"What do you think?" Jacob asked, walking up to greet her.

"It's so beautiful," she mused, taking his hand. Bella appeared next to her, her pale face expectant.

"You can't go upstairs until your honeymoon," she replied in her smooth voice. "Upstairs is a surprise."

Renesmee laughed, nodding. She didn't want to spoil the surprise any more than Bella wanted it spoiled. Instead of opting for something exotic for their honeymoon the following week, they had instead chosen to come up to their cabin to spent their first few nights together in their new home. Renesmee thought it would be fitting, and Jake had eagerly agreed. After his proposal, they had had very little alone time together, and this would be welcomed.

They spent the rest of the day helping her family with the house, putting some finishing touches on the first floor. Esme was busy putting up window treatments, Rosalie and Alice were busy upstairs, and Jasper and Emmett had busied themselves with tiling the kitchen floor. Carlisle continued his work on the decks, bending the wrought iron pieces to make an elegant railing while her father and mother worked together to shingle the roof. She spent the afternoon helping Jacob put the finishing touches on their stone fireplace.

"It's all coming together," she said quietly, admiring their work. Esme looked up from sanding the railing of the main staircase, smiling down at them.

"You should head home. We'll stay and get everything put together. It'll be perfect by Saturday," she promised. Renesmee hopped up the first few steps, kissing her grandmother, and then nodded to Jake. They said their goodbyes, and got into a borrowed vehicle, beginning their long trek home. Bella and Alice were coming that night as well to help her get ready for the ceremony that would take place in a few days.

He looked over at her in the dark car several hours later as she dozed. She looked so beautiful that it made his heart ache a little; he was so happy that their life was finally coming together. It honestly didn't matter to him that she might not be able to have children, even though he was certain she could. Many wolves had had their own theories over the years about imprinted couples and why they were drawn to their mates. Some thought it was because they would be able to produce stronger wolves, others thought it was simply a matter of love and fate. Jacob wasn't sure which one he believed, although he had agreed with every word he had heard Carlisle utter to her that morning.

He stroked her hand as he drove, holding it securely in his own. Love and fate had taken them this far, and he knew he could only believe that it would guide them on the rest of their journey.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The steady rhythm of her heartbeat echoed in his wolf ears. He sighed, his breath making little clouds in the night air. It was only early September, but already the nights were getting colder.

Jacob sat down on his haunches, staring forward at the cottage that was just in his sight. The idea of leaving Renesmee even the night before their wedding was enough to make him want to crawl out of his skin.

He knew that he could never be far from her ever again.

He sighed again, glancing up at the moon. He could only hope that the sky would stay clear; their ceremony would be tomorrow night, and he wanted to be able to see the moon and stars.

Typical Quileute marriage ceremonies were always done at night, and theirs was no exception. Renesmee had wanted to do something for him, knowing that their real wedding the day after tomorrow would be a large affair. He had agreed, eager to have something small, non-fancy, and personal for a limited audience. On the day of their wedding, all of their friends and family from far away would be arriving and things would start to get crazy. Tomorrow night was just for them.

He heard a quiet whoosh of air a second before the sicky sweet scent of vampire filled his nose. Edward appeared beside him, his pale face glowing in the darkness.

"So I guess you ever leaving her is out of the question," Edward mused, a wry smile on his lips.

Jacob looked over at him, rolling his wolf eyes. _Like I could or would. That girl is my life._

"I know she is, Jacob…forgive my attempt at a joke."

_Sorry, Edward…just nervous. I want tomorrow to be perfect for her._

Edward sighed, stepping closer to Jacob's wolf form. "I know you do. I can see that you want tomorrow to be perfect for her in every sense of the word."

_What's your point?_

Edward chuckled. "I'm trying to tell you that I'm happy you're marrying my daughter, mutt."

Jacob laughed inwardly_. I'm just nervous. Don't take it personally._

"Why so nervous?"

Jacob looked at him skeptically before turning his attention back to the cottage.

_Name one guy who isn't at least a little nervous the night before his wedding._

"Point taken."

He sighed, staring at the cottage. Her steady heartbeat continued, soothing his frazzled nerves.

_I hope Nessie is getting a good night's sleep…I don't want her to be tired tomorrow…all those people…_

"You've always put her well-being above yours, haven't you?"

He looked at her father, huffing air through his snout. _I wouldn't want it any other way, _he admitted. _Her happiness is all that matters to me. Well, that and being anywhere near her. _

"I know. I feel the same way about her mother."

_I know you do, Eddie. _

Edward chuckled, looking over at Jacob in the darkness. "I'm glad you're finally going to get your happy ending with her, Jacob. For years I thought….I thought you hated me. Especially after making you wait to tell her the truth."

_Yeah, I was pretty certain she would hate me for life after that one, too. So thanks a lot._

"I am sorry, for what it's worth."

_Sure sure…_Jacob agreed good-naturedly.

Edward laughed again. "I'm just glad you're going to finally be as happy as I am. I feel like you deserve it after all these years, and I'm going to finally get to see it."

Jacob looked over at his once sworn enemy, the man he had plotted to kill on numerous occasions, who had stolen away Bella….and he felt no hard feelings for him at all.

"You offer me this information freely?" Edward mused.

_I guess. I don't' hate you anymore. I definitely did at one time, but…not anymore, Edward._

"The feeling is mutual," he chuckled. "So are we allowed to finally like each other?"

Jacob nodded his large head. _I think so. If it wasn't for you doing all that and making me miserable all those years ago…I'd still be miserable today. I wouldn't have my reason for living. Talk about fucked up fate, eh?_

Edward laughed, and Jacob chuckled with him in his head.

_I'll do anything for her Edward. I'd throw myself off a cliff if it would make her happy._

"I know you would, Jacob. I know you'll do anything for Renesmee, and that….that's all that matters to me."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

So, I know I said this was the last chapter…but it ended up being something ridiculous like 50 pages, so I split it on two. Plus, I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer for this chapter. I hope you are all enjoying seeing their story come to a close! Keep in mind, we still have the last chapter and an epilogue that I think will surprise you all.

Last but not least, there is a poll on my main page about the final chapter of 'Touch Me: The Untouchable Outtakes' and where you all want to see that take place. Vote!

Please review! : )


	55. Chapter 55: The Rest of Forever

_This night is sparkling, don't you let it go_

_I'm wonder-struck, blushing all the way home_

_I'll spend forever wondering if you knew_

_This night is flawless, don't you let it go_

_I'm wonder-struck, dancing around all alone_

_I'll spend forever wondering if you knew_

_I was enchanted to meet you_

_This is me praying that_

_This was the very first page, not where the storyline ends_

_Taylor Swift - Enchanted_

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_I'm getting married today. _

That was the only thought her mind would allow that day as she sat and waited for her wedding to begin.

She thought the day would never end. From the time she woke up in the morning, she was ready for it to be evening. Her aunts and grandmother spent the day whirling around the cottage, prepping the private garden off of Edward and Bella's room for the ceremony. They wouldn't let her see it - Alice was determined for it to be a surprise.

After her family returned home from Canada, they had busied themselves preparing for both of the weddings that would take place. Both the main house and the cottage became a bustle of activity, even for people who didn't sleep and had more than enough time on their hands.

"You _would _get two weddings," Jacob had joked to her. She knew it was a lot to ask of him, but he had agreed that an eternity together definitely qualified for two weddings.

Renesmee sat on her bed, staring across the warm, golden floor of her childhood bedroom. So much had changed that she almost felt like a different person but yet….Jacob somehow kept her grounded. She could see her reflection in the mirror on the dresser, and it shocked her. She looked somehow…older. Was it because she had done so much in the last year? When she thought about the year before on her seventh birthday and how miserable everything was, she couldn't help but feel like she had come quite far. At the time it had felt like everything was taking forever to get resolved, and yet now, looking back - it felt like no time at all.

She cocked her head to the side, staring into the mirror. What would married life be like? Would things even change at all? She wasn't sure it would feel any different really. Honestly, the idea of marriage scared her a little, but when she thought about Jacob she felt calmer.

"We'll be watching from the woods…is that okay? If we're not seen or heard?" Alice asked again as she brought in Renesmee's dress for that evening.

She laughed, nodding. "Yes, Alice. My family and the pack are the only ones allowed in the woods tonight. Everyone else will just have to wait until tomorrow," she answered with a grin.

Alice smiled, fluffing the simple, strapless white cotton gown for the Quileute ceremony that night. "Good. You won't hear a peep out of us, I'll make sure of that," she said, tapping the side of her head.

"I know, Alice," Renesmee laughed. Originally, she had only wanted one private ceremony to take place - a traditional Quileute wedding in the small, private garden of her parents' home. The only guests allowed would have been her parents and Billy, who would be performing the ceremony for them. But, after Alice's pleading, she had relented and agreed to let her vampire family watch from the forest with the rest of Jacob's pack. That way, it would still seem small and intimate to them, while allowing their friends to watch. No one wanted to miss their wedding.

Bella floated into the room, and Alice gave her a knowing look. "Your mom wants to help you get ready, so I'll leave you to it," she said, somewhat sadly.

"Thank you, Alice," Renesmee answered. Alice left the room, already a blur of activity as she hurried off to finish prepping for that night's ceremony. Bella walked over to where Renesmee sat at her small dresser, surrounded by various cosmetics.

"Mind if I help?"

Renesmee smiled at her gorgeous mother in the mirror. "Be my guest. I'm too nervous to really do any good," she laughed, picking up a stray curl. Bella nodded, picking up the curling iron. "I thought you hated all this girly stuff."

Bella gracefully began twisting Renesmee's coppery hair into the iron. "I used to….when Alice would force it on me. But….this is your wedding day. It's different."

"I know," she said softly.

"Even vampires can change, you know."

Renesmee smiled as she watched her mother in the mirror. "What about half vampires?"

Bella met her gaze, picking up another piece of hair. "Of course. You get the privilege of both; staying the same for the most part, but you can grow and change both inside _and_ out."

"I suppose…"

"Feeling nervous?"

"No," Renesmee replied, shaking her head. "Just growing pains. Sorta…I mean, everything changed so fast."

"You're not having second thoughts?"

"No!"

"Just checking," Bella quipped, giving her a crooked smile.

"No, I would never have second thoughts about Jake. I love him more than…"

She trailed off, unsure what the right words were at that point. Bella sighed happily, a dreamy look entering her eye. "More than your own life?"

Renesmee looked up, her brown eyes pricking with unshed tears.

"Yes," she whispered.

They were silent for a few minutes as Bella worked, Renesmee trying to calm her nerves and think of nothing but what would be waiting for her at the end of the aisle: Jake.

"I picked a few gardenias from the garden to put in your hair if you want," Bella offered as she began curling a different section of her copper curls.

"Sure, Mom. I'd like that."

Bella sighed, gazing at her daughter in the mirror as she helped her with her hair. The ceremony was only an hour away, yet Renesmee could sense that her mother had something she wanted to say. Bella kept opening her perfect mouth, only to frown and close it a second later.

"Say whatever it is, Mom," she finally said.

Bella's golden eyes flicked up to meet hers in the mirror, and Renesmee suspected her mom would have been blushing if she was able to.

"I…remember bits and pieces of what my mom said to me on my wedding day…but it's foggy."

Renesmee's expression softened. "You don't have to give some epic speech, Mom. Really."

"No, no…just let me say this."

"Okay," Renesmee relented.

Bella sighed, dropping the piece of hair she was working on.

"I'm proud of you, Renesmee. I'm so proud, and….I just wanted you to know that."

"Mom…"

"No, just…let me finish. I'm proud that you've found your way through all of this…this mess. You've come out of this with a really good head on your shoulders, and I'm glad to know that."

"I take after my mom that way," Renesmee laughed, reaching up to touch Bella's hand. Bella gave her a shy smile, ducking her head.

"I'm just proud of you for navigating through this life with so much….grace."

"Grace?" Renesmee made a slight face. "Mom….I acted like a complete brat and almost ruined everything. I made more bad decisions than a _Lifetime _movie. I almost ran my soul mate away for a fling with a dangerous vampire who wanted to turn me over to the Volturi. Mom….yeah, I'm not exactly full of good decisions."

Bella gave her a wry smile. "We've all had ups and downs. What counts is how you end up after it's all over."

"It's been a roller coaster. Not that I think it's over…."

"No, it certainly isn't over But you've done so well through everything so far. That's my point - you're going to be such a strong woman because of all of this. I have so much hope that you'll do good things with all of the time you've been given."

"Mom…" she complained as tears welled up in her eyes.

"And now you have Jake…and he'll be your rock."

"I know, Mom."

"I'm just…very happy to see what you've become."

"Don't get emotional…"

"Renesmee….I _chose_ this life. I chose it with my whole heart - you were born into it. You've done so well with it, and….I can't wait to see what else you do."

"Oh, Mom," she whispered, turning around to hug Bella. They embraced for several seconds before Bella pulled back and looked at her.

"You look so lovely. You've just surpassed anything I could have hoped for, Renesmee," she said, quickly adding a few more flowers to her curly bronzed hair.

Renesmee smiled, feeling herself blush.

"Stop flattering me. I have to go get married now," she joked, giving her mom one last hug. Before she knew it, Alice was coming in to let them know it was time for the ceremony.

"It's time," Alice whispered, ushering them toward Bella and Edward's room. "Close your eyes," she ordered, and Renesmee did as she was told. She could practically feel the excitement radiating off of Alice's cold fingers as she led her through the house. This was it. She was finally getting married to Jacob.

She felt Alice lead her to the white French doors in her parents bedroom that led out to a private garden behind the house. It was all so picturesque and she hadn't even opened the doors to reveal the full setting yet. Her breath felt caught in her throat, like she couldn't breathe even if she wanted to. The sheer adrenaline and excitement coursing through her veins was almost too much.

"I want to open them," she whispered.

"Okay," Alice whispered back, removing her tiny hands.

Renesmee laughed, opening her eyes. A surprised gasp flew from her lips as her eyes focused on the private garden that had been completely transformed. It looked like a white, glowing dream in the middle of the cool, crisp night.

Instead of the normal flower beds and simple brick pathway that usually remained in the garden, there was something else.

An aisle of white rose petals stretched down the path, covering all the bricks. Mason jars with white candles were sitting scattered down the path, lighting the way. A the end of it was a white archway lattice with wildflowers and ivy wound into it and white candles burning in a half circle around it. The whole patio seemed to glow with a heavenly haze that made it almost unrecognizable. But she barely noticed those things. For there, under the archway, stood Jacob.

She clutched her bouquet of wildflowers, biting her lip as she stared at him. He looked absolutely unearthly standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her. His eyes bore into hers with such a loving intensity that it made her heart ache pleasantly.

She wanted to be his forever, and tonight her wish would come true.

_Breathe, Renesmee_, she reminded herself. Carefully, she put one foot in front of the other. The rose petals under her feet felt like satin. The whole thing felt like a dream. The glowing candles in the mason jars gave Jacob's already tan skin a heavenly glow, making him look even more statuesque than he normally did. She could barely peel her eyes off of him long enough to walk slowly down the pathway towards him. Taking a deep breath, she vowed to remember every detail of that night. It was the start of the rest of her life.

When she got to the end of the aisle, Jacob's father, Billy, smiled at her. She felt bad; she had barely noticed he was there beside Jacob in his wheelchair.

Suddenly feeling bashful, she looked down at her bare feet and tried to calm her racing heart. When Billy cleared his throat to begin the ancient Quileute marriage ceremony, she finally looked up.

She didn't need words or vows or rings to know that he would be there for her forever. It was in his eyes. Every promise, every hope, and every thought of her future was there in his gaze as he stared back at her.

'_I love you,_' he mouthed as Billy began speaking. The look in his eyes was almost relieved; was he relieved that they had finally made it to that point, after everything that had happened?

'_I love you back' _she mouthed. He smiled, reaching forward and taking her hands in his. He stood in a plain pair of faded khaki shorts and nothing else, and her in only a simple, sleeveless white cotton dress. However, she already felt like a princess. She had the most important part of the equation, and that was the prince.

Billy cleared his throat, and the ceremony began. His deep, gentle voice laced with the sounds of the evening crickets, the two sounds weaving together in something that was like a symphony to her ears.

"We are here tonight with these two people to join them in a sacred union. Father sky is the roof that will protect you, Mother Earth is at your feet to hold you, and the trees and plants to surround and embrace you as you embark on this journey through life together."

Renesmee grinned up at him, squeezing his hands. She had only agreed to do a big, formal wedding tomorrow for her family's sake; she knew they wanted pictures, mementos, and an official ceremony. Emmett wanted to dance with her at her wedding, Rosalie wanted a big white dress, her father wanted to walk her down the aisle, her mother wanted a wedding portrait, Esme wanted the flowers, Carlisle wanted to do the ceremony, and she knew that all of Jacob's friends wanted to be his groomsmen and ride in a limo. But tonight….this part was for them.

Billy continued speaking, drawing her attention back to the words he was saying. She wanted to remember them forever.

"_Now you will feel no rain, for you will be shelter to each other. _

_Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. _

_Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. _

_Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. _

_As time does pass, remember; _

_Like a star should your love be constant. _

_Like a stone should your love be firm. _

_Have patience with the other; for storms will come, but they will go quickly. _

_Your love for each other will be written in the stars for all eternity. _

_For the Great Spirit is with you, now and always." _

Renesmee smiled at his words, feeling the weight of them. This would be forever; they would never have to be apart again. Suddenly, a great sense of calm came over her as she looked up into Jacob's warm brown eyes. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. His voice was raspy and shaky at first, but he seemed to gain confidence with each word.

"I, Jacob, take you Renesmee as my wife. I do solemnly vow my eternal love for you. I will comfort you, keep you, love you, defend you in sickness and in health, in riches or poverty, in sorrow or joy, all the days of my life."

Renesmee smiled as Jacob ran his thumbs over her knuckles, giving her one of the most heartfelt smiles she had ever seen grace his features. Taking another deep breath, she repeated his same words back to him.

Billy smiled at them, reaching for their hands. Jake put one of his in Billy's, and Renesmee did the same.

"Circles have no beginning and no end. And so, in the long and sacred tradition of marriage, the circle has come to symbolize eternal love and endless union of body, mind, and sprit. Exchange these symbols now to solidify your promises to each other."

He released their hands, handing Renesmee the bracelet she made for Jacob, and Jacob the newer bracelet he had made for her. He slipped hers on her left wrist, smiling down at her ring.

He repeated after Billy, making her heart swell with love for him once more. "This circle is a symbol of my love and faithfulness, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. I pledge to you my love and life."

Billy smiled up at his son, giving him an approving nod.

She did the same for him, happy when she could finally hold his hands in her own once more. Tears of happiness threatened to spill over onto her cheeks as she repeated the same words to him, slipping his bracelet on him.

When it came time for them to say 'I do,' Jacob stared down at her. His eyes held such a burning intensity as he spoke those words that it made her quiver a little.

"I do," she answered when it was her turn. He squeezed her hands in his, igniting her skin with his touch. She knew in that moment that Jacob would never leave her side.

When Billy spoke again, she had chills. "Father Sky and Mother Earth, we give heartfelt thanks for the moment you have brought these two together under your watch. I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. To eternal love," Billy replied, and they exchanged grins before she flung her arms around his neck and he picked her up off the ground in a tight embrace.

His lips crashed into hers, melting together as if they had been made that way. Cheers erupted from the trees where her family had been silently watching to give them their privacy. Jacob's pack filled the woods with joyous howls, and the sound was almost deafening.

"_Kwop kilawtley_," he whispered as they broke apart. She smiled at the ancient Quileute way of saying 'I love you' as it came from his lips.

"I'll love you more," she quipped back.

He smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen gracing his features, and her heart felt like it was going to explode with happiness.

"You would say that," he laughed, bending down to hug her. He lifted her up, holding her against his chest as they embraced and let their post-nervousness laugher out. Renesmee had a smile so big and sincere that she felt like she would be wearing it for the rest of eternity. It was a smile she wore all night and into the next day during their formal wedding. Their private tribal ceremony had been for her and Jacob - but today was for her parents and her family.

"Someday you might want a picture of yourself in a big white dress," Alice had gently reminded her. So, Renesmee had relented. Jacob was actually more into the idea than she thought he would have been. She had selected a big white gown and lots of pale colored flowers, and he had willingly selected a tux and asked his entire pack to be in his wedding. The date had been set, and the Cullen house would once again be transformed for a wedding.

"I'm immortal….but those guys aren't always gonna be around. Might be nice to have a good picture of us all together," Jacob had finally admitted.

Renesmee waited patiently as Rosalie craftily buttoned up the back of her white dress. Although she normally hated anything too frilly or ornate, she had selected a pure white ball gown style dress for her formal wedding. She had tried her best to keep everything simple yet classy - her goal was for everything to still look elegant in a hundred years.

"You look like a princess," Rosalie whispered, her golden eyes peeking over her shoulder in the mirror.

"Thank you, Rose," she said, looking up. When she was finished, she turned around and hugged her aunt.

"I have something for you," she said softly, pulling a small box out of her pocket. "It's your something borrowed. I wore it when I married Emmett….twice."

Renesmee laughed, opening the small velvet box. Nestled inside was a delicate pendant, very intricate and antique looking. The center diamond was surrounded by a thin, filigree octagon of diamonds.

"Rose…it's so beautiful," she breathed.

"I thought you would like it. I think your dad has your 'something blue' to give to you," she smiled, looking over to the bedroom door. Renesmee turned around, her breath catching in her throat at the sign of her parents. They stood together in the doorway of her bedroom, looking like they had just stepped out of Vanity Fair. Her father wore a classic cut tuxedo, and he looked like a marble statue next to her mother. Bella's pale skin and brown contacts reacted with her taupe gown beautifully. Both beamed at her from across the room, their proud smiles making Renesmee's heart ache a little.

"You look so beautiful," Bella breathed, rushing over to hug her daughter. Renesmee laughed, squeezing her back.

She turned to her father, her eyes already misty. The look he returned to her clearly said he would be misty-eyed if his vampire body would allow it.

"You look like a vision, as always," he replied softly.

"Dad," she protested, giving him a bashful look_. Please don't make me cry_, she thought to him. _I'm going to ruin my makeup._

He gave her a lightning fast wink. "One of us has to, don't they?" he answered.

_Thank you…for everything. For forgiving me for how I've acted…for accepting Jacob….for helping us to even stand a chance._

Edward's lips twitched slightly as he tried not to smile.

"Of course," he answered.

She sniffed, nodding. _I know you didn't have to accept him the way you did….but…the fact that you're so happy for me…on my wedding day….shows that you're okay with this._

"I love him as if he was my own. My heart…or lack of…couldn't be happier today for you, Renesmee," he promised.

"You do?" she whispered, her voice already shaking.

He nodded. "You know your old, stubborn father. Does he ever say anything he doesn't truly mean? I trusted you to pick your own destiny….and I'm glad you picked the right one. You just….needed some time to figure things out. Make some mistakes…grow, I suppose. But you figured it out.

She sniffed, reaching for both of his hands. Squeezing them on her own, she marveled at the feeling of her father's smooth, cool fingers.

_I almost screwed everything up. Denali, Stefan, running away, Damon, the Volturi…._

Edward gave her another wry smile. "Well, you wouldn't be your mother's daughter if you weren't a little bit foolish at times. But when it comes to the most important thing of all - love," he replied, his voice as smooth as satin, "You've always done the right thing.

_I put you through hell, _she thought.

"None of that matters now, Renesmee. You're going to get your happy ending. Start your forever with Jacob."

Renesmee choked a little, swallowing back her tears. "You mean that, don't you?"

Edward chuckled, shaking his head at her. "You're always so concerned with what I think. This is about you and your happiness. He's waiting for you…believe me," he added with a wince.

Renesmee felt her already speedy heart quicken. "He is? Read his mind…what's he thinking?" she whispered urgently, grabbing her father's hand.

Edward smiled wryly. "Do you really want to know?"

She nodded giddily. Edward leaned forward, whispering lightly in her ear. "I'd tell you his thoughts love, but all I can hear is your name on repeat in his head, mixed with images of your face. He is truly….yours," he chuckled.

"That's so sweet," Renesmee cooed, biting her lip. She touched the ornate little necklace that Rosalie had given her, her mind suddenly unable to think about anything other than the man waiting for her downstairs.

"Ah, yes. You want to get this show going, naturally. But…" he added, slowly reaching into his pocket.

"What's that?"

"As promised, something blue," Edward replied, slipping something on her wrist. Renesmee gasped, looking down at the dainty diamond and sapphire bracelet that now hung around her wrist. It was small and simple, yet had a beautiful antique look that she adored.

"I love it!" she gasped, holding up her wrist. Edward smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"I believe you have another item of jewelry to go collect. Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm. Bella gave her a kiss on her other cheek, holding her face in her hands.

"I love you and I love Jake. Seeing you with him makes life complete. Love him for always, okay?"

Renesmee's mind floated to the slightly taboo subject of her mother and Jacob, and the obsession he had once had for her. She smiled, taking her mother's words to heart - she truly did want Jacob to be nothing but happy.

"Always," she promised. Her mother and father led her downstairs, and then Bella let Edward take over and walk her down the aisle. Renesmee had a sense of déjà vu as she walked toward Jacob at the end of an aisle for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, but she wasn't the least bit upset about it.

Jacob was more composed today, yet he still had an emotional air about him that wasn't normally present. When Edward paused at the end of the aisle, he took Jacob's hand and shook it. They had a silent exchange, and Edward nodded, finally joining their hands together.

"Thank you, Jacob," he said in a low voice, and Jacob beamed at him.

Renesmee tried her best to pay attention and memorize every detail of Carlisle's ceremony, the vows she said, and the people around her…but it was almost impossible. She stood, staring into Jacob's warm, chocolate brown eyes and felt herself getting more and more lost in them. She was swimming in a sea of peaceful oblivion, and the only thing that suddenly mattered was him. She realized…it had always been him. She just needed a little push in the right direction.

"Renesmee?" Carlisle prodded, his voice just above a whisper. She blinked, a smile appearing on her face.

"I do," she breathed, squeezing Jacob's hand in hers. She felt him slip her ring on, and she did the same to him as he pledged her the same.

When Carlisle announced them as a married couple for the second time, she let a joyous squeal slip out before practically attacking him. She pressed her mouth to his, sealing their vows for eternity.

"I hope you always want to kiss me like that," he whispered, leading her down the aisle as their friends clapped and cheered.

Renesmee snorted. "Jake, you're such a stubborn ass, I'm probably going to want to punch you….buttttt….then I'll probably want to kiss you."

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "You know me too well," he laughed. She floated through the rest of the day; it was a blur of pictures, friends, well wishes, and laughter. By the time they got to the backyard where the reception was being held, she was almost certain her face would split in two if she smiled any bigger.

Alice had truly outdone herself. Renesmee knew that her parents' reception had been held in the same place, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was nearly this lovely. The trees that lined the yard were all wound with white, twinkling lights, making the forest look like it was shimmering. Mason jars with candles in them hung from the branches, flickering with a warm glow. In the center of the large backyard a dance floor had been constructed under a large, sloping white tent. The center of it rose up higher than the Cullen house itself, and was lined with row after row of round, white lanterns on long lines. Along the sides of the dance floor were the dining tables, which were all set with shiny silverware and simple, white plates. Arrangements of white roses, hydrangeas, and green ivy were placed everywhere; on the tables, the backs of the chairs, and even on the long table of fancy looking appetizers. Looking closely, she realized that even the bouquets shimmered with tiny crystals and pearls, just like the bouquet she held in her hand.

Jacob squeezed her hand as they walked inside the tent together, silent and speechless as they took it all in.

"It's like a dream," she whispered, looking around in awe. The guests hadn't come outside yet; Alice had wanted them to see it all first and she was glad. It was so beautiful it made her chest ache.

"This is another one of those moments…"

"What?" she asked, looking up breathlessly. He squeezed her hand, looking down at his wife.

"This is one of those moments you have to remember forever…for me," he said.

She nodded. "I couldn't forget this if I tried."

They stood admiring the reception for a few more moments, just taking it all in. After a few more minutes, Alice came bounding in with the rest of the family in tow.

"It's lovely!" Renesmee breathed, hugging her aunt. Alice pulled away, looking somewhat sheepish. "I wish I could take all the credit," she admitted, her golden eyes shifting over Bella.

Renesmee turned, hugging her mother tightly. "You helped?"

Bella nodded, pulling away to gaze down at her. "Well…Alice did my wedding reception here, and….although I can't remember much of it, I asked her to recreate it…and this time, go even more overboard for your sake. You deserved a little 'overboard' today."

"If it's overboard, I love it!" Renesmee laughed, gazing around the tent again.

"Okay, okay you love it. Now….can we get started?" Alice begged, taking her hand. Renesmee nodded, and within minutes the tent was a bustle of activity. The music started, the people flowed in, and soon dinner was served. They were seated at the head table along with their wedding party, eating some of the best food she had ever tasted, but all she wanted to do was take it all in.

"I know this food is good…but I'd rather stare at my new wife," Jacob admitted sheepishly, grabbing her hand under the table.

Renesmee beamed, feeling a blush rise up in her cheeks. She raised her hand to his cheek, pulling him towards her.

_Give me eternity to love you right,_ she whispered with her gift.

He smiled softly, giving her a nod. "Won't be long enough."

"Stop gooning all over her, Black!"

"Yeah, come on! Aren't you going to share her?"

Renesmee looked up as Seth and Embry sauntered up to where they sat, huge grins on their faces.

"You're incorrigible," she laughed, standing up to join them.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Call - I'm not sharing her ever again," Jacob laughed, following Renesmee up to them.

"We want at least one dance with the bride though," Seth teasingly whined. "You wouldn't take that away from us!"

Rosalie floated up in her beautiful beige gown just as the two of them began bargaining for a dance with her. "Not before the bride has her first dance with her groom," she said softly, taking both Renesmee and Jake by the hand. Renesmee made a face. "But Rose, I don't think Jake can dance," she protested.

She watched as Rosalie and Jake shared a secret smile as she drug them out onto the dance floor, placing Renesmee's hand in his.

"He's had a few lessons perhaps," she said quietly. She smiled sadly at Jacob and reached her pale hand up to touch his tan cheek. "I owed him a favor - let's leave it at that," she whispered before retreating to the side of the dance floor. Renesmee looked around, still surprised to be standing on an actual dance floor with Jacob.

"You learned to dance?" She asked, her voice breaking slightly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she put two and two together. "You asked Rosalie to show you how to dance for me?"

He nodded as the first chords of the song began, placing his hand on her waist. "I did," he said. "You're spending an eternity by my side…so…the least I can do is learn a simple waltz," he laughed.

They began to move together, the steps of the classic dance coming back to her quickly. She hadn't danced in ages, but the lessons her father had given her as a girl were burned into her mind. Soon, the two of them were floating around the dance floor to the music, staring into each other's eyes.

"I can't believe you're dancing," she whispered, gripping his hand. He twirled her out, pulling her back against his chest.

"Believe it," he laughed, dipping her suddenly and making her squeal with laugher.

"So, when did Rose teach you how to dance?"

He snorted to himself. "I haven't patrolled in a week! Every time you fall asleep at night I would run back to the main house and….well, Blondie taught me everything I know."

Renesmee looked over at the sides of the dance floor, catching Rosalie's smug little smile.

"She's not bad, you know. We're good now."

"Wait a minute," Renesmee laughed, gripping his shoulders. "You and aunt Rose are _good_ now?"

He nodded, giving her a smirk. "I guess. We get each other. We know what to expect and….she knows I'd do anything to make you happy. She's giving me lessons in class."

"Class?"

"You know…since I'm marrying into the family. I gotta shape up and get more…refined," he chuckled.

Renesmee gave him a skeptical stare. "You?"

He shrugged again, laughing to himself as they danced around the tent. "As long as I can stay true to my uh, _inner animal, _sure."

"I love that you did this for me…it's the best wedding present ever," she whispered in his ear. Jacob dutifully swung her around the dance floor for the entire song, leaving her breathless at the end. Their guests clapped and cheered, and soon joined them on the dance floor.

The evening was a blur after that. She danced with each one of her uncles, letting them swing her around the dance floor in her pretty white dress, and she had to admit that she felt like a princess. The night was flawless, and she couldn't believe she had almost passed up a chance at a real wedding and reception.

"So you're saying it's worth it?"

She smiled as her father's smooth voice floated into her ears. "Maybe," she admitted, accepting his hand. He led her back out onto the dance floor, gracefully moving around like it was walking.

"Thank you," he said, accepting her compliment. She rolled her eyes, watching from the corner of her eye as her mother got a dance with Jacob.

"Jacob's thoughts have never been so….peaceful," Edward murmured in her ear as he swung her side to side. Renesmee gazed over at him, catching his eye.

"What was he thinking when he saw me today?" she asked out of curiosity. Edward smiled, twirling her around.

"For once, Jacob Black had no words, Renesmee. And that….is something," he said with a chuckle.

"Thank you for everything today, Dad….and for everything. Ever."

"Stop thanking me."

"So bashful," she laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Hate to do this, Edward, but I have to steal my wife back," Jacob replied, stepping over to them. "Hey, I like that. Edward, give me my wife!" Jacob laughed. Bella smacked him playfully on the shoulder, switching places with her daughter.

"A wise trade," Edward replied, rolling his eyes at Jacob's antics. He waltzed away with Bella, and Renesmee watched them for a split second as they moved around the dance floor like two flowers floating on top of a lake. They were so smooth and delicate the way they moved together it was simply lovely to witness.

"I missed you," he whispered, pulling her close to him. She swayed softly with him, drinking in how perfect he looked dressed up in a tux. _There was something about a man in a tuxedo that never gets old, _she thought to herself with a smile.

"We've only been apart twenty minutes," she noted with a giggle.

"Get used to it. I never wanna be apart again," he replied, touching her cheek. She rose up on her toes, kissing him lightly on the lips.

They shared another few dances before his pack cut in, making endless jokes about a blushing bride. She laughed their playfully crude comments off, but couldn't help but be excited about the idea of finally being along with Jacob.

_I want to rip that tux right off of him…_ she thought with a smirk.

"Well, you've had your dances with wolves….get it?" Seth chuckled, handing her back to Jake. They both rolled their eyes as Seth cracked up and he walked away.

"We should go say hello to everyone," he whispered, pulling her towards the guests. She nodded, making her way over to greet all of the people she hadn't seen while walking down the aisle. In all honesty, half the Volturi could have been sitting in the Cullen living room and she wouldn't have noticed. All she had seen was Jake, waiting for her at the end of the flowery aisle. She took her time greeting everyone with Jake: the rest of his pack, the La Push elders, and various people from his community who were in on the secret of the pack, Sue Clearwater, Charlie, and of course her various vampire friends from shortly after she was born. Zafrina, Senna, and her friends Benjamin and Tia had even come from far away to help celebrate. When she reached the Denali coven, she was surprised to see Stefan missing.

"You look lovely mi Niña," Carmen whispered as she hugged her.

"This group gets lovelier and more extravagant every time we visit, but I can't say I can complain. We'll have a hard time outdoing you," Kate added with a wink. Renesmee's eyes lit up as she held up her left hand. A large, pink diamond ring glittered on her pale skin as she grinned.

"Really?" Renesmee gasped, embracing her friend. She was so happy that Kate and Garrett had worked through all their troubles and were finally getting married.

"He'd better make you happy," Renesmee whispered happily.

"Same to your wolf," Kate laughed, eying Jacob. He nodded, turning suddenly.

Renesmee followed his gaze, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Stefan?"

The young vampire strode up confidently, looking amazingly dapper in his suit. "Sorry we're late, but….well, someone had to go on a last minute hunt. Not that I'm complaining," he laughed. Renesmee gave him a puzzled look, but understood when Isadora shyly stepped out from behind him. Her eyes suddenly went wide.

Isadora wore a long, strapless black gown that clung to her tall, graceful body….even the large bump protruding from her middle.

"Hi," Isadora replied bashfully, holding her stomach. "Sorry we are late, but….unfortunately I am a slave to my cravings!" she replied, her accent barely noticeable. She beamed up at Stefan, who proudly put his arm around her.

"You're….you're….oh, my God, you are!" Renesmee stuttered, her brown eyes wide. She gaped at the protruding bump on Isadora's stomach that could only mean one thing.

"Yes. Almost three months now," she said happily.

"Three months?" Renesmee gasped. "You've been pregnant for three months?"

Isadora nodded. "Eleazar thinks it's because I'm a hybrid - he thinks our pregnancies will be longer because we're only half human. Our vampire half lets us handle it all…better," she replied with a little laugh.

Renesmee gaped at her, then her stomach, then up at Jacob.

"Do you know what this means?" She whispered. Jacob looked back down at Isadora, then at Stefan.

"I think it means we owe our friends many congratulations," he replied, reaching out to Stefan. The vampire's green eyes went a little wide, but he nodded and grasped Jacob's tan hand in his. They shook firmly, exchanging wide smiles.

"To the future," Jacob said to him, "and all that it will entail…for _both_ of us."

Renesmee hugged Isadora, nearly coming unglued with happiness as she felt the tiny beating heart of the baby inside of her as they embraced. She was so happy for the two of them. Not only had they found each other, but they were happy. Stefan was finally content, and she could see it in his emerald eyes.

"I'm so happy for you," she whispered, grabbing him into a hug. "I suppose….everything happens for a reason, yes?"

Stefan looked down at her, nodding slowly. "Sometimes it….it takes some time to realize how we should love the people around us. We just….had it mixed up for awhile," ha said with a smile.

"We did….but now I feel like we've come full circle….and we can really be friends now. Right?"

Stefan laughed, patting her shoulder. "Of course. We've found our happiness, and now we have an eternity to enjoy it. Friends?" he asked, holding out his fist.

She laughed, bumping her fist with his. "Friends. Now go make sure she gets something to eat!" Renesmee laughed, gesturing to a beaming Isadora. She looked over, grinning at Jacob as he stood next to the pregnant hybrid, his palm pressed against her stomach.

"Yikes!" he laughed, pulling it away. "That thing can _kick_!"

They four of them laughed, and Renesmee hugged her friend one more time. "You have to bring him down once he's born…I have to see him!" she whispered to Isadora.

"I have a feeling I will want to show him off as much as I can!" Isadora replied, holding her stomach. "We will come back soon."

They watched as Isadora and Stefan made their way over to the table still loaded with drinks and appetizers. Jacob grabbed her hand, still staring at the two of them.

"Do you know what that means?"

"What it _could _mean, Jacob. There's no guarantee," She gently reminded him. He sighed, looking back over at her. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it.

"If it happens, it happens. If not, then…" he trailed off, looking wistful. She took his other hand, dragging him onto the dance floor as another slow song started. The reception was dying down slightly; the lights were low, most of the humans had gone home, and people were now swaying slowly with their significant other on the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck, leaning on him slightly as they danced.

"What do you think it would…be like? Our baby?"

He smiled. "Kick ass," he replied quickly. She burst out into laughter, shaking her head at him.

"I mean…" he corrected himself with a chuckle, "I think it would be cool. Like…half shifter, like me and….well, a quarter human, and another quarter vampire. I think it would be amazing to see what it could do. Would it run fast? Or…or shift, like me? Or would it just be…normal?"

Renesmee snorted. "There's nothing normal about us, Jake. It would be one heck of a kid, that's for sure."

"If it happens," he reminded her. She nodded, shrugging slightly.

"If it happens," she agreed.

They continued to dance to a few more songs, then took time to mingle with their guests and go back for seconds of their wedding cake. Jacob took a few more photos with his pack, and she made sure to get more photos with her mother and father, and of course her aunts and uncles. When it was time for them to leave, Alice darted up for one last attempt at influencing the honeymoon.

"I really can't convince you to go somewhere tropical? Europe? Australia?"

Renesmee grinned, hugging her aunt. "No, Alice. We just want to go to our house and hang out for a few days."

"Hang out for a few days? Hang out? This is your honeymoon, Renesmee…" Alice grumbled, shoving her purse at her. Renesmee giggled, sharing a 'look' with her uncle, Jasper. Alice had been trying for get her to go to somewhere special for weeks now, but she simply wanted a few days alone with Jacob in their new home. Soon, her entire family would be moving up to Canada with them to begin building their own homes, and she knew that their private time would soon be limited.

"Fine," Alice grumbled, stomping over to where Edward and Bella stood. Billy wheeled himself up, situating himself beside Renesmee's parents. Most of their guests had left by then, leaving only the Cullens, Billy, and Embry.

Alice sighed, looking at the three of them. "Do you have something for them?" she grudgingly asked.

Edward's face lit up. "I do, yes, Alice." he said, reaching into his pocket. Bella beamed beside him, glancing at Jacob.

"Look Eddie, we agreed no presents-"

"-I have to insist on this one Jacob. This isn't a handout - merely a wedding present from all of us."

"Accept the present son," Billy spoke up. "Don't be impolite to your new in-laws," he chuckled.

"Fine," Jacob agreed, turning to Edward. "If this is something big, Edward, I-"

"You gave up something for my daughter. Something very dear to you, and that gesture….made me realized you would do anything for her. Now I want you to realize….well, I would do just about anything for you, Jacob. So…here is your gift," he replied, dropping a single key in his hand.

Jacob frowned for a second, thinking of what it could be that Edward was talking about. _Gave up? What did I give up? _he thought to himself.

Turning the key over in his hand, he saw the familiar symbol on it and his face lit up. "Dodge? As in truck? You got me a new truck?"

Edward nodded. "You gave yours up to give my daughter something special. And now…Bella and I wanted to give you something special in return."

Jacob's mouth hung open. "You're sure? This is….you got me a new truck!"

"We did. Rose made a few modifications she thought you would enjoy though," Bella added with a wink.

Rosalie walked up, beaming at the two of them.

"Blondie, I thought we were even after the dance lessons?"

She shrugged. "I felt like I still owed you one. Enjoy it, mutt."

He turned the key over in his hand. "I will. I definitely will."

"Good….you deserve it, Jacob. It's out back waiting…but…first….something for my daughter."

Renesmee smiled. "Dad, you already gave me something. I couldn't possibly need-" she stopped, her mouth gaping open as Edward opened a small, black velvet box and held it in front of her.

"It's for you, Renesmee," he said softly. "Take it."

Her hands shook slightly as she reached up, accepting the box with the sparkling diamond ring in it. It was old, and obviously a very expensive antique. The delicate, intricate design of the ring glittered in the box, making the ring look like it was showing off just for her.

"It's….it's beautiful," she gasped, pulling the ornate ring from it's cushion. Slipping it on her right hand, she admired it with wide eyes. Tiny, sparkling diamonds made up the shape of a blossoming flower, and nestled in the center was one of the brightest, shiniest diamonds she had ever seen. The ring was one of the prettiest pieces of jewelry she had ever seen - and she had seen a lot in her household.

"It was my mother's…my father gave it to her as an wedding anniversary present. Their tenth, if I can remember correctly," he replied. Taking his daughter's hand, he kissed it and pulled her into a hug.

"For my rare little flower," he murmured against her hair. Renesmee bit back happy tears as she embraced first her father, then her mother.

"Be happy now, Renesmee," Bella whispered. "Start your forever."

"I will." Renesmee sniffed as she pulled away from her golden-eyed parents, sure that their eyes would be misty if they could.

"Trying to out-do me, Edward?" Jacob joked, giving Renesmee a wink.

"No, just giving my children things to start their new lives with….and to show them how much I love them," Edward replied confidently.

Jacob froze, giving Edward a strange look. "Really?"

Edward nodded, hugging Bella to his side. "You're part of our family now, Jacob, and….I mean every word I've said. It's time to start your happiness together, and…these signify the start of that."

Jacob looked at Renesmee, then down at the key in his hand.

_You mean that? _he mentally asked Edward. Edward nodded, his golden eyes serious.

"I mean it."

Jacob sighed, swallowing hard. He stepped forward quickly, embracing Edward. Renesmee watched as her father's face registered extreme surprise; that wasn't something he was anticipating.

Bella laughed softly as Jacob hugged Edward. The embrace was brief, but not what any of them would have expected.

"Thank you….for everything," he said softly, pulling away. Edward nodded as Bella shot forward and hugged them both.

"I love you both so much…." she whispered happily, squeezing them tighter.

Jacob laughed, taking a step back. "Easy, Bells," he laughed. Renesmee hugged Billy and the rest of her family before returning back to Jacob.

"We're swinging by the house, then we're driving up," he explained.

"Drive careful, son. And don't forget to visit," Billy said somberly.

"There's always room for you in Canada, old man," Jacob laughed.

Billy shook his head, giving his son a sad smile. "No, Jacob, my home is in La Push. But you come back and see me from time to time, you hear?"

"It's only a two hour run. You tell one of the boys if you need me and I'll be here in two hours - maybe faster," he said with a wink. Billy laughed, nodding at him.

"Go now. Don't worry about me. Start your life with Renesmee," he replied. Jacob nodded, taking her hand. Renesmee watched Billy wheel himself away with the help of Embry, who gave them a wry grin.

"I'll keep an eye on the old man," he replied with a chuckle.

"Take care," Jacob called after them. The Cullens looked on as Billy and Embry left, and they could tell Jacob was thinking the same thing they were; time was limited with people like Billy and Embry. Billy was human and would eventually die; Embry was a wolf who had imprinted on a human, so he would eventually stop phasing and age as well. Their time with their human friends and retiring wolves was coming to an end. They would have all the time in the world with each other, but people around them would eventually pass on.

"He'll be okay," Renesmee reassured him, squeezing his hand. Jacob looked down at her, drinking in how lovely she looked in her white gown, and he realized something.

_As sad as I am to know people like that will eventually leave this earth….as long as I have this woman beside me….I can live through anything_.

He exchanged a smile with Edward before turning to Renesmee. "Ready?"

She nodded excitedly, and together the two of them dashed to the front of the house. Jacob gasped, stopping in his tracks. There, in the driveway, was a brand new, shiny black truck. The key in his hand burned, and he pulled Renesmee forward to check it out.

He flung the door open, jumping in. Running his hands over the dash, he couldn't help but grin. "I've never had a new vehicle before…holy shit," he gasped. Renesmee giggled, jumping in the passenger seat. She arranged her billowy white dress before slamming the door shut and turning to grin at him.

"Ready," she confirmed with a nod. Jacob started the truck with a roar, and they were off.

"So why are we going to your house?" she asked. "Isn't all of your stuff packed up yet?"

He shrugged as the truck flew down the highway. "Almost," he replied. Renesmee giggled, letting her hair fly out behind her as they raced down the roads to La Push. Once there, he jumped out of the truck and led her inside. She giggled as she tried to get her large white dress through the tiny door, and he chuckled as he pulled her inside.

"Jake, why are we here? Didn't you pack all of your stuff?"

He grinned. "I wanted to just….bring you here one last time," he replied, loosening his tie. Her mouth hung open in question as he pulled her towards his bedroom.

"What are we-"

He flung the door open, practically yanking her in with him. She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and practically pinned her against the door.

"Jake-"

"Shh…I just wanted some alone time with you," he whispered, leaning down so that their faces were inches apart. She nodded, suddenly understanding why they were there. He wanted _alone_ time.

Pressing her hand to his forearm, she spoke with her gift. _I see what you wanted…._ Leaning forward, she placed a lingering kiss on the exposed skin above his loosened tie. His tan skin burned pleasantly against her lips, and she smiled in response.

_I want you,_ she communicated, _more than I'll ever want anyone else. You're mine, Jacob._

"All yours," he replied, grinning down at her. She leaned her head against the back of the door, giving him a beckoning look. He moved further forward, pressing his lips to hers in a feverish kiss. Her arms moved around his neck, pulling their bodies closer.

"Forever," he promised between kisses. She nodded, reaching up to yank her veil off of her copper curls. He ripped his tie off, his dress shirt following.

"Help me out of this dress," she begged, turning around. He smiled cockily, placing his hands on her shoulders. Running them down her back, he let them rest on the spot where the buttons started.

"The one time I wish I was a vamp," he muttered, fiddling with the buttons. She whined in protest as he clumsily unbuttoned them one by one.

When enough of them were undone, she turned around, pushing it down as fast as her vampire speed would allow. She wanted him, and she wanted him _now. _Jacob helped her step out of the fluffy white gown, pulling her towards his twin sized bed by the window. "This will be…cozy," she laughed, falling down on top of him. He chuckled with her, running his hands down her sides.

"It'll be worth it…you…in this bed….all mine…" he trailed off.

"Yes?"

He grinned up at her as she sat on his lap, gazing down at him flirtatiously. "Well, let's just say it's been a dream of mine for a long…_long_ time."

"A dream, eh?" she quizzed, raising en eyebrow at him. He nodded, letting his eyes drink her in. After the past year, he never thought this moment would come when they were finally man and wife. They spent a silent minute just gazing at each other as he ran his finger up and down her cheekbone. The dim light beside his twin sized bed glowed warmly, casting a gorgeous glow over his tan skin. Reaching up, she mimicked his action, lovingly stroking his face.

"You're….." she trailed off, shaking her head at him.

"The best?"

"My life," she giggled, looking up at him. "You're my life now."

He shook his head, dipping his head down close to hers. "I don't want to be your life….just your favorite part."

Slowly, his eyes closed as he dipped his head lower, brushing his lips against hers. The touch was soft and deliberate, meant to make her want more. Her eyes fluttered shut as his mouth left hers, leaving her somewhat breathless. They opened once more to see him staring down at her, his eyes taking in ever detail of her face.

"Tell me."

She sighed, blinking slowly.

"It's always been you, Jacob. It'll always only be you."

"Promise?"

"How could I not?"

He grinned, flashing his white teeth at her. "Prove it."

She snickered mischievously, biting her lip teasingly. "You want me to?"

"I was kinda counting on it. I mean, you can't go letting me down now. We're married, we're in my childhood bed, alone….I mean, ever guy dreams of this moment. Getting the hot girl from his fantasies help him christen his bed, you _know_," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Then let's," she whispered mischievously. A split second passed before he lunged at her, pinning her to the bed with his weight. Her head tilted back as she squealed with laugher, welcoming his body closer to hers.

"Strapless?" He asked, dipping down to nip at the top of her breasts. His lips parted slightly, letting his teeth graze her skin lightly. Renesmee sucked in a sharp breath as the action made the apex between her thighs tingle. She sighed, nodding as her eyes drifted shut again.

"Yes."

Inhaling slowly, she concentrated on the feeling of him hovering over her body, worshiping it as her eyes stayed shut. Again and again his lips brushed against her chest, begging for her to be freed of all clothing that could block him. His hand reached behind her body, searching for the fastening of the garment.

"What…."

"Here."

Reaching forward, she separated their bodies as she reached between her breasts. Slowly, she unhooked the front of the lacy bra. His eyes widened slightly as he watched her open the clasp, peeling the white lace away from her skin.

"Front clasp," she said simply, giving him a little grin.

He exhaled quickly, his dark eyes dilating further as he growled.

"Fuck _me."_

His hand was drawn to her body like a magnet. Sliding his hand over one of her breasts, he hissed in appreciation.

"So perfect….so….all mine."

"Yes," she half moaned, half giggled. The feeling of his warm fingers grazing lazily across her skin made her nipples stiffen as the light touches began to register. The soft rubbing soon turned more concentrated as he palmed her breast, biting his lip in anticipation.

"Jake…" she moaned, her voice breaking. Her hips rose up off the bed to grind against his leg, the lace of her white panties sliding against him. He pinched one of her nipples lightly, moving his mouth to lightly kiss the other. Renesmee's head flew to the side, her eyes glued shut in complete, frustratingly wonderful bliss.

She liked it so much when he teased her like this.

"Open your eyes."

She obeyed, letting her eyelids flutter open. The sight of the man above her nearly took her breath away. There he was, hovering over her body with the most sincere look of adoration and lust that it made her stomach coil with need. His russet skin glowed in the dim light of the bedroom lamp, giving him an unearthly sheen. His sculpted cheeks made his full, kissable lips stand out pleasingly. Glancing up, Renesmee nearly lost herself in the dark pools of dark chocolate that were his beautiful eyes. His stare was full of love and endless adoration, and she could tell that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. She bit her lip and moved against his knee that was between her legs, sighing at the pleasant friction. However, as good as her movements felt, she wanted more as her body began to sizzle with anticipation of what was to come. This was their wedding night, and she intended to make it one that would be difficult to forget.

"You're so…" he whispered, trailing off. His head dipped to nuzzle her softly, his lips making a hot trail from her lips to her ear. Kissing behind her ear, she sighed and let her hands run up his back, tickling him.

"So what? You didn't finish."

"Well, 'pretty' doesn't seem like the right word. What can I call the girl that's my wife now?"

She laughed and moaned again as he sucked lightly on the skin below her ear, making her shiver again. "I think 'pretty' will have to do for now," she gasped as he kissed another fiery trail down her chest. His mouth encircled her nipple, sucking lightly before moving to the next. The wet, sensitive skin puckered against the chilly air of the bedroom. Every pass of his tongue over her flesh made her chest heave with ragged breaths.

Her mouth fell open slightly as he continued worshipping her breasts, taking his time on each. After a few moments, she felt his hand as he placed it on her hip bone, lightly caressing the skin above her underwear. He hummed appreciatively when he felt the lace beneath his fingertips, running the pads of his fingers across the silky material.

He smiled devilishly against her skin, his eyes flicking up to meet hers.

"Like my panties?"

"I want to rip them off….with my teeth."

"Well I _am_ yours now…"

"Not any more than _I'm _yours."

"Okay okay, we own each other. Now get my damn _panties off_!" she giggled, giving him a light shove on the shoulder. He chuckled against her chest, sliding down her body and letting his lips lead the way. He laughed against her skin as he kissed her hip bone, his eyes darting up to hers.

"Take off a hot girl's underwear….in my bed. Nope, never thought this would happen," he murmured before letting his teeth close around the elastic band of lace that ran across her hip. He peeled the fabric away from her skin slowly, pausing only as she lifted her hips up to help him. Growling slightly, his nostrils flared as the material slid down her legs and her body was fully exposed to him.

Reaching up, he cocked an eyebrow as he unhinged his jaw and dropped the white panties into his hand, winking at her.

"Those are going into my personal collection," he chuckled, tossing them on the bedside table.

"Ulgh," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

Jacob sat back on his knees, eying her. She let one foot rest on his shoulder, her knee blocking his view of her.

"Don't tease…" he growled, kissing her ankle.

His growl made her leg vibrate slightly, making the place between her thighs moisten steadily as she watching him. Slowly, he pushed her leg back down onto the bed, the mattress squeaking slightly. They were crammed in the tiny twin sized mattress, but neither cared.

It only made them feel closer together.

Leaning down, he gave her a cocky smirk as he lowered himself down onto the bed between her legs. He kissed the insides of her thighs, making her whole body quiver and ache with anticipation of what was to come. They hadn't been alone in what felt like ages, and had certainly not been together like this in some time. His breath on her sex made her center ache with longing, and soon she was twisting on the mattress with need.

"Jake," she panted as he ran a finger teasingly down her entrance. His mouth soon joined it, both working to further tease and excite her. His lips brushed across her center, touching her lightly. He was teasing in the most devilish of ways, but she didn't think she could mind at the moment.

"Oh…" she moaned, writhing slightly. His free hand slid up her thigh, gently yet firmly grasping her hip and holding her steady. The fiery touch of his hot palm sent her reeling, her hips begging to lift off the bed. Chuckling, he paused and glanced up at her. Their eyes met and she blushed, biting her lip as she stared at his dark, almost hypnotic gaze.

"More," she whispered, letting her head fall back against the pillow. His tongue circled her clit slowly, making her grip the sheets with her fists. Increasing his pace on her bundle of nerves, she was soon making the fabric on his bed tear as it became victim to her pleasure.

She came with another small scream, her body twisting under his firm grasp as she rode out her orgasm. Her hands wove themselves into his short, cropped black hair as he dutifully slowed his pace, letting her enjoy the small, pleasant aftershocks of pleasure that came with her climax. He slid up the bed beside her, pulling her trembling torso against his.

"I need you…" he practically growled, roughly palming her breast. His aggressive touch made her center ache once again as it begged for more of his attention.

"Oh Jake…I…I c-can't wait any longer," she gasped, her eyes falling closed. He leaned down, kissing her sweetly.

"That's the beauty of this whole arrangement," he laughed, his tongue swiping at her bottom lip. She kissed him deeply, groaning into his mouth as her hand snaked it's way under the elastic band of his boxer briefs. Grasping him lightly, she lightly scraped her fingernails on the underside of his shaft. She was met with deep growls as he kissed and sucked at her neck.

"Now," she urged, pulling his underwear down. Jacob lifted himself up just enough to give her a questioning look. She knew what his dark eyes were asking - would they use protection?

"Jake, please," she whispered, moving her hips against his leg. He closed his eyes as her wetness made contact with his body, her touch searing against him. She was the only thing that felt truly warm to him, and she was blazing hot right now. He had never felt more alive.

Reaching up, he touched her cheek softly before sliding himself into her to the hilt. They both gasped in sheer exultation as they were finally joined in the most perfect way.

"Holy…"

"Gah…"

Their eyes met and they shared a nervous yet excited smile.

"Ready?"

She nodded, biting her lip. He pulled back only to thrust his entire body forward. She gasped and let her fingernails claw into his back, eliciting a hiss from him. Jacob threw his head back as he plunged into her, feeling nothing but joy and raw emotion as he finally could enjoy her the way he was meant to.

He looked down, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were heavy lidded in enjoyment as he moved above her. Slowing his pace, he took a moment to remember her expression always; it was one of such adulation that he never wanted to forget it.

Renesmee felt her womanly center clench against his girth as her body enjoyed what he was doing to it. It felt so natural to her to be connected this way that it was almost a sensory overload. His eyes, his clean, masculine scent, the heat radiating off his muscular body, his length as it moved in and out of her…..it was all too much, but in a good way.

A good, overwhelming, sexy way.

Reaching up, she palmed his neck and opened their connection, showing him her enjoyment as he moved above her. Seconds later, his pace slowed as she showed him how he was making her feel. It was like a sensory mirror as she let her feelings of pleasure bounce right back into his mind.

"You're…gonna…be the death of m-me," he growled again, opening his eyes. She beamed up at him, giving him a cheeky grin.

"You love it," she giggled, hitching her leg around his hip. He put his arm around her leg, closing his eyes as he felt how this new angle allowed him to go even deeper.

Her hands pressed against his chest, giving him sporadic updates on how good he was making her feel.

"If you keep doing that, we're never going to get out of bed. Ever," he laughed, panting slightly.

"I'm just glad you're enjoying it…as m-much as I am.." she breathed, thrusting her hips against his length. He growled again, rolling over onto his back.

Renesmee straddled him, her legs on either side of his hips as he grabbed her sides and dug his fingers into her skin. The friction felt amazing.

With another grunt, he slowly helped her move her hips in a slow, tantalizing circle. Renesmee leaned forward, her hands supporting herself on his chest as he moved for the both of them.

"Fuck baby….you feel so good…..ugh, sorry."

"Sorry for…for what?" she panted, looking up at him. He glanced up at her through lustful, hooded eyes and she had to remind herself to breathe.

With the help of his hands, she found her rhythm and began to move almost hypnotically on top of him. She was repeating the same motion over and over, but it only helped their releases build.

"I shouldn't say…f-fuck…on our wedding night, should I?" He half moaned. His eyes closed as she clenched her pussy around him, intensifying the friction between them. Again and again he pulled and pushed at her hips, grinding her hot center against his steel erection. Renesmee mewled and whined, one hand grabbing and her coppery hair as euphoric feelings spread from her core through her entire body.

Only he could make her feel this way.

She shared her thought with him, both of them groaning at the intensifying feelings. Looking down, she watched his eyes drift shut and his breathing increased. Again and again she moved against his body, each time making them both quiver a little more.

Suddenly her eyes rolled back in her head as he began lifting his hips off the twin sized bed slightly.

"Yes," he growled, reaching one hand up to grasp gently at her breast. Rolling her nipple between his fingers, she let her chin fall to her chest in defeat. Her body had become a slave to him, and willingly so.

Leaning back, she closed her eyes as his length swept in and out of her in tantalizingly slow, long strokes. Biting back another whine, she felt his hand slide down the valley of her breast and stomach as her body quivered with anticipation. With another sigh, she leaned forward and moaned as the pads of his fingers found the spot between her legs that was beckoning for him. Her features went slack as he made a pattern on her clit with his free hand, using his other hand to guide her hips.

"So hot…" he murmured, opening his eyes to watch her writhe on top of him. She gave him a wicked smile, but it didn't last long. His fingers picked up the pace and soon she was gasping for breath as her body tightened up. He watched as her toes curled and her bottom lip went between her teeth as she clenched herself around him. Grabbing her hip harder, he urged his body to it's peak to please her. When she came, the sight of her moaning and writhing on top of him was enough to send him toppling over the edge soon after.

She stayed put for a moment, straddling his hips as they both panted, coming down from their exuberant high. Her body felt like it was melting into his as she stared down at him.

"That was…wonderful," he gasped, letting his hands roam to her backside. He playfully squeezed at her rear, growling in satisfaction. Wiping away a bead or two of sweat, he grinned up at her.

"Happy wedding day," he chuckled. Renesmee giggled and leaned down to brush her lips with his.

"I do love you," she giggled. "Even if you are a total dork."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After untangling themselves and cleaning up, Jacob ushered her into his new truck with the last few bags of his things. His father's house was virtually empty of all of his stuff, and it was time to head north.

"How long will the drive take?"

Jacob shrugged, pulling out onto the main road. "Couple hours. You can sleep, I'll drive."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'm excited to drive this baby," he laughed.

"I'll miss Forks," she admitted sadly, leaning against the window. It was dark out, and the familiar clouds had covered the moon and stars as a fresh rain rolled in.

He patted her hand as he drove past the 'Leaving Forks' sign, giving her a shrug. "We can always come back…someday."

She nodded, listening to the powerful hum of the truck her father had given to Jacob. To see her father give an extravagant gift was one surprise; the fact that Jacob had actually accepted it was another.

"I'd like that," she said sleepily, yawning. As pretty as her wedding dress had been, the comfy sweats her mother had packed for her trip to Canada had been a welcomed surprise in the backseat. Scooting over, she nestled against Jacob's side as he drove, letting the truck's spinning tires lull her to sleep.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The early morning sunlight poured through the glass doors, making her squint. Turning over on her back, she gazed over at the sight of Jacob, sleeping soundly beside her. They had gotten to their mountain home somewhere after 3am that morning, and had barely been able to keep their eyes open as they took in the finished product. She was glad they had gotten to have some private time together in Jacob's old room, for once they got in the doors they had been completely exhausted.

Carlisle and Esme had spent several days before the wedding in the cabin putting on the final touches down to the last detail. When they had arrived after their long drive, they had been surprised to find everything completely unpacked and set up for them, ready to be lived in.

Sitting up, she looked around the cozy bedroom that had been a complete surprise until late last night. Her family had insisted that the upstairs section of the house was to be a surprise, and part of their wedding present to them. Waiting for them had been a bedroom with an upstairs deck looking over the lake, a sitting room with a fireplace, and even a window seat overlooking the creek. She couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect place to live if she had a hundred years to plan it.

She crept from the bed and grabbed her robe from the nearby chair. Wrapping it around herself, she tiptoed over to the doors and opened them, only to gasp at what she saw. When they arrived earlier that morning, it had been dark and they were too tired to admire much of it. What she saw now took her breath away.

Stepping out onto the warm wood, her eyes widened as the early morning sunlight poured over the mountains in the distance, casting the entire valley in a golden glow. The lake below rippled with a slight breeze, glittering as the sunlight shone down on its bluish water. The pine trees swayed slightly, wafting their fresh scent to her nose and adding to the picturesque scene before her. Below, their green lawn stretched to the trees, a wide stone path leading down to the water where their dock awaited.

"Wow," she whispered, letting her hand rest on the railing. She was sure this view would never get old, even if she lived there for a hundred years.

"Wow is right," Jacob echoed from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled as Jacob walked out onto the deck to join her, fastening the top button on his low-slung blue jeans.

"Quite a view, huh?" she asked. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Renesmee leaned back against him, sighing contentedly.

"So beautiful….I can't believe we live here now."

"Me either."

She was silent a moment; the only sound the mountain breeze against the trees and their beating hearts.

"I think we'll be happy here."

"I know we will."

"You sound so sure. What if we're no good at being married?"

"We don't always have to be married…if we suck at it, we'll just be friends with benefits."

"_Jake,_" she whined. He chuckled, squeezing her against him.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he laughed. "We're going to be happy here."

She turned around in his arms, gazing up at him. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "You're here with me. How could I not be happy?"

"You're right," she agreed. "I can't believe we finally made it. We're here, we're happy…we're together."

He gazed down at her, reaching up to touch her cheek. "It's time to start our forever, just like your mom said."

"Forever…."

"That's a long time," he replied. Renesmee nodded, giving him a tiny smile.

"I don't think it will be long enough."

"Let's give it a try."

"Yes…let's," she agreed, pulling him to her. He let his lips crash into hers, sealing their agreement.

And neither one had ever meant a single word more.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**To anyone who has read this final chapter, I have to say thank you. It's been a long, wild ride, and all I ask for is a few words. What did you think of the ending? If you're reading, please leave me a review - for the last chapter, I really want to hear your thoughts.**

Although this is the normal last chapter, there still IS an epilogue that will be going up soon, and I still plan on writing another segment to the 'Touch Me' fic, which are the outtakes to this story.

Thank you to my beta, RainItShall!

**Please review! This story has taken me a year and a half to write, and all I ask is that you review.**


	56. Epilogue: Happy Ness

_Happiness, hit her like a train on a track_

_Dog Days Are Over - Florence & the Machine_

* * *

**Epilogue: Happy Ness**

Renesmee blinked, welcoming the early morning sunlight on her skin. The weather was still slightly chilly in Denali, but it no longer bothered her as much.

She would be moving south soon, and that was all that mattered.

Much, much further south.

_Home. _

She sat on the rocky ledge of the mountainside, letting her feet dangle off the edge. Watching the sunrise was something she would miss when she moved away, and she wanted to enjoy the last one she would see for awhile. Where she was going, there weren't going to be many sunrises.

But that was alright with her.

She missed the rain and the green.

She missed Forks.

Denali would always have a special place in her heart though; it was where she had fallen even more in love with Jacob.

It was where she had learned _how_ to love Jacob.

Yes, Denali would always be a special place.

The sun peeked over the mountain, pleasantly stinging her eyes with its brightness. Smiling, she rubbed her hands over her shoulders to warm herself. Far below, her eyes could see the green that awaited in the lower elevation, and it called to her. She wanted to see green again, not eight more months of winter.

_Yes, it's time to go home, _she thought. She stood, her body erect almost the second she thought about it. Turning away from the sunrise, she slowly put one foot in front of the other on the cold, snowy ground until she was at a full run. The icy branches flew past her as she ran down the mountainside where she had been watching the sunrise. It would be warmer the further she went, and she couldn't wait. It was summer in Denali, and the lower she ran the more signs she saw of it.

Further and further she went until she was all the way down the mountain. The scent of wildflowers and fresh water met her nose, and she knew that her prey wouldn't be far.

Sniffing the air, she heard the heartbeat of the giant cat not far off. This was a meal she had waited nearly three weeks for, and she wasn't about to let it get far.

_One last hunt…._ she thought.

Her feet barely touched the ground as she made her way towards the river where the giant cat was drinking. Sensitive hearing allowed her to pinpoint the exact place where it was without her even having to think about it. By the time the cat looked up, it was already over. Renesmee drank greedily from the animal's jugular, enjoying the way the blood slid down her throat. The liquid soothed her throat and gave her a warm, satisfied feeling.

The older she got, the less blood she needed to survive. In a lot of ways, her body was more human than ever. The thought that she would become more like a vampire with time had been wrong; they had all been wrong. In fact, she required less blood, her skin grew softer, and she had lost a bit of the strength she had when she was younger. Even so, they were all changes she was willing to accept. However, the things she still kept were her speed, her youth, and of course, her love for her other half - Jacob.

The most important things were still in tact, even after a hundred years.

_It's strange to think of myself as being over a hundred years old….even with all this time to get used to it, _she mused to herself.

After disposing of her meal, she turned her head south. The familiar tugging on the base of her spine had returned, calling her home. With a small smile, she began to run again.

Her pull to Jacob never lessened.

Faster and faster she went, letting the chilly air touch her cheeks and make her hair fly out behind her. The temperature grew warmer and warmer, and suddenly she was no longer surrounded by the snow. Instead, it was late spring on the Alaskan countryside, unlike the snowy temperatures of the mountaintops. The sunlight hit her skin as she broke through the trees in a flat out run, streaking across the now grassy meadow. Her feet barely touched the ground as she moved across the open space, back into the cover of the trees. The green forest was teeming with life and new growth, but she didn't notice. She just wanted to go home.

Then….

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. He moved like a blur through the forest beside her, but she could tell he was trying to make a stealthy approach.

The chase was on.

Renesmee ripped through the trees, picking up speed. Her predator did as well; she could hear his light footfalls behind her now, undoubtedly following. She ran up hills, through some heavy thickets, and finally she thought she had lost him. Her follower had lost her trail, and she was almost positive she was in the clear. Pausing, she sniffed.

Nothing.

_He won't give up easily, _she thought. Beginning to run, she picked up speed quickly as she tore through the forest.

_This will lose him for sure, _she thought with a smirk. With one strong push from her leg, she propelled herself up into the air, her body sailing over the wide river. Time slowed as she gracefully paused midair, enjoying the feeling of her powerful launch.

"Oof!"

She landed on the ground with a thump. Brown feet welcomed her. Slowly, she looked up, her eyes dragging all the way up his chiseled body.

"Thought you lost me, didn't you?" his deep voice said, a welcome change to the quiet woods. His words coated her ears, soothing her body and calming her nerves.

"You're getting faster," she admitted sheepishly, grinning at him. Jacob smiled cockily, giving her a smoldering stare.

"I should say the same about you," he teased, sauntering closer. He closed the short distance quickly. She pretended to glare at him as he walked up to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Laying a lingering kiss on her forehead, he laughed. Her body molded easily against his, enjoying his warmth.

"Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" he reminded her gently.

"Me?" she asked, closing her eyes and leaning against his chest. He nodded, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Mmmhmm…"

"When have I ever taken it easy?"

"My wife the hell raiser."

"Nothing new."

He looked down at her, smiling. "You might want to take it easy though because this little guy might have a say so," he said, letting his hand rest of her subtly protruding belly. She felt a flutter inside of her stomach as his hand touched her. They shared a smile, knowing that their baby was inside of her.

"He likes the speed," she said, letting her hand join his on her stomach. "I can tell."

"Does he now?"

She nodded. "He does."

"Well I could stand here and argue with you all day but….It's time to go home," he said to her. She nodded happily, rising up on her tip toes to peck his lips sweetly.

"Care for a ride?"

"I'd love one. I am a little tired," she admitted, sighing heavily. He took a few steps back, phasing quickly into wolf form. Renesmee effortlessly hopped on her husband's back before they took off. They arrived back at the Denali home in a matter of minutes, and she waited patiently for him to dress before walking inside.

The familiar layout of the log cabin mansion spread out before her, it's pleasant scent of pine and fresh snow coating the air. She would miss Alaska - the wide, open spaces, the glittering white snow, the crisp mountain meadows….but, it was time to go home.

It had been a hundred years, after all.

Time had flown by effortlessly for them. She and Jacob had been to college several times, they had traveled all over the world, and had built many happy homes together.

But so far - none in Forks.

She was eager to collect the last of her things and move onto the next phase in her life. She wanted to raise this next baby in Forks, where she herself had grown up. Reaching down, she patted the side of her little bump and grinned.

"We're going home, little guy," she whispered as she paused in the doorway. She listened as Jacob walked up behind her, placing a lingering kiss on the crook of her neck. Her skin still sizzled pleasantly where his hot lips had touched her.

"We sure are. I'm gonna go round up a few things….meet you in the driveway in ten?" Jacob asked.

"Yup. I'll be right there," she agreed, giving her stomach a final pat. He flashed his teeth at her in a wide grin, which she returned. He walked back to her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"This means so much to me. You know that, don't you?"

Renesmee nodded, looking up into his soft brown eyes. Even though his body hadn't aged, his eyes had. His dark chocolate orbs held so much more worldly knowledge now, as opposed to the recklessness that had been there when she was younger.

She knew he needed to go home.

"I know. It means a lot to me too," she replied, nuzzling her nose against his neck. He swallowed thickly, nodding.

"Sure…well….I'm just glad to be heading back. I….I want to be home, I can feel it in my bones," he chuckled, shifting his weight.

She knew Jacob was ecstatic to be moving back to Forks again; it was his home, too. Even though their mortal friends and family were gone, the rainy little corner of Washington held some of their fondest memories.

"Meet me at the car when you're ready. Take your time," he finished, giving her a last peck on the forehead. She smiled, turning towards the library as he walked outside. There was one last person she would need to say goodbye to, even if it was only for a little while.

Renesmee paused, listening. She grinned to herself when she heard the strong, steady beat of his heart. It was easy for her to pick out, even through the thick walls of the log cabin.

The door to the library creaked as she opened it, sticking her head in. He stood in front of the windows, looking more like a statue than a person. His tan skin glimmered slightly in the morning sunlight shining through the large library windows. His strong heart echoed in her ears as she watched him from across the room.

"You're sure you want to stay?"

The man in front of the windows turned around, his green eyes bright. He strode over to her, grabbing her into a tight hug.

"Of course I do. Tanya would never leave her Alaska behind."

Renesmee nodded, quickly realizing that he would never want to make his new wife leave the land that she had grown to love. She pulled away, reaching up to stroke the side of his perfect tan face.

"You're my baby, you know that right?

He heaved an embarrassed sigh, rolling his bright green eyes. Her first son was a perfect combination of all of her family members; he had her father's bright green eyes according to Carlisle, Renesmee's wild, wavy copper hair, and Jacob's smooth, tawny skin. He was also stubborn, just like Bella.

"I know, I just worry about leaving you up here on your own."

"I'm never alone, Mom. I can run home to you and Dad in a few hours. And I've got Collin here with me, and his boys. We've practically got our own pack up here."

Renesmee nodded, remembering that Collin and his wife Estrella would be staying in Alaska with the rest of the Denali family. Estrella missed her sister, Isadora, and they wanted to be together for awhile. Isadora and Stefan had been living deep in the Amazon rainforest for the last two decades, and were ready to be around family again. The half-breeds and their mates were happy to make a home in the wide, open Alaskan forests.

"I'll keep an eye on him," a voice answered. Renesmee turned around, a smile lighting up her face.

"Stefan!" she gasped, clapping excitedly. He nodded, opening his arms to welcome his old friend.

"I'm glad you're back! But…we're leaving in a few minutes. Forgive me?

"Of course," he answered, nodding at her. His still golden and green tinged eyes sparkled as he glanced up at her son.

"Make it easy on me, okay?"

"Right," Caden replied, rolling his eyes. "When have you ever known me to stay out of trouble?"

Renesmee sighed, shaking her head at her first born. "Help your mother sleep at night. Keep on eye on Caden, will you?" she asked Stefan. Her son rolled his eyes, shaking his head at Stefan.

"Not necessary," he whispered jokingly.

"Oh, quiet," Renesmee spat, embracing her friend.

"Like he is my own," Stefan promised, patting her shoulder. "We will be one big happy family up here in the north. Just promise to visit."

"I will. I've developed such a taste for walrus, I couldn't possibly go long without one," she added with a wink. Stefan laughed, walking over to Caden.

"We'll all be fine up here, won't we?"

"Fine," Caden agreed. "Now go, you know Dad is antsy to get home. It's been a hundred years, don't make him wait any longer. I'll visit in a few weeks when you're settled."

Renesmee smiled, nodding. "I know he is. I'll go, just…call me, okay?"

Caden smiled, nodding at her. "I will, Mom. Now go before I phase and drag you down to Forks myself."

"Goodbye boys."

She walked through the house, stepping out the front door onto the snowy porch. The sunlight shone through the pines, making the light dance across her face.

A peaceful smile crossed her features as she closed her eyes and turned her face to the light.

"Goodbye sun….hello Forks."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Renesmee smiled at her husband as they drove down the road towards Forks. She wasn't surprised that not much had changed; sure, there were a few more subdivisions and stores, but it was still the same sleepy little town they had left so many years ago.

She was glad that the last century had done little to Forks.

"It's good to be home."

"Yup," he agreed, taking her hand in his. He wove their fingers together, bringing them to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand softly, holding it in his lap as he drove.

"Well go see your parents in a few hours. I figured you want to get settled in."

"You know me so well," she replied with a wink. And that was quite true; the most time they had been apart in the last century was a week. She had gone to the Amazon with all the women in her family to visit Nahuel some years ago. By the end of the week, her body had been longing with need to be next to Jacob's again.

There was a flash of white beside them, making her jump. She smiled at Jacob when she realized what it was.

"She'll drive all the boys wild," Jacob replied, shaking his head.

Renesmee glanced out the window, tilting her head to the side. "She hasn't met any of them yet…do you think she'll…?"

He shrugged. "Hard to say. Not sure how those things work. Leah never did."

Renesmee smiled to herself, watching the flash of white as it followed them in the safety of the trees. As they drove down the road to the secluded cottage, Renesmee felt a satisfying feeling in her gut. It was good to be home.

She opened the doors to the truck, hopping out when they pulled up to the gate. The stone walls had crumbled slightly, the roof needed replacing, and the shutters needed a fresh coat of paint, but it wasn't anything they couldn't fix in a few days. Renesmee sighed, breathing in the familiar rainy air of her first home. The cottage had aged well, and would only need a few repairs to feel like home again.

There was another flash of white in the trees that made her look to the side. Jacob grinned at her before grabbing a bag and walking into the cottage.

"See you inside."

Renesmee leaned on the gate, crossing her arms as the large white wolf walked into the clearing in front of the cottage.

"Glad to see you found us. Your tracking skills aren't getting rusty. Come inside - I can smell that Esme already cooked something for you," she told the animal. It nodded, retreating to the bushes.

Renesmee walked into the cottage, savoring the feeling of home.

"Is it everything you hoped it would be?"

She smiled, leaning back into her husband's arms. Jacob wrapped his arms protectively around her stomach, affectionately palming the small bump in her abdomen.

"More."

He sighed into the top of her head. "Ready to do this again?" He asked, rubbing the bump on her stomach.

"I am. Are you?"

"Ready as I can be. I just want this little tyke…whatever he or she is…to grow up near home…like I did."

She patted his hand, nodding. "Agreed. Speaking of children…"

The door opened, squeaking on the hinges.

"So this is Forks."

Renesmee laughed. "Yes, honey, this is Forks. What can I say? Get used to the rain, Aria."

Her daughter laughed, pushing her long, straight dark hair over her shoulder.

Renesmee watched her beautiful young daughter as she embraced her father. "Good to see you, Dad. Keeping Mom off her feet?"

"As much as she'll let me. School finished?"

"Took my last final yesterday. Took me all night to run here from Arizona."

"You could have gone to school in the North," Renesmee pointed out.

Her daughter, Aria, rolled her dark brown eyes. "What can I say? I have a thing for hot weather and tan boys."

"Oh lord," Jacob grumbled, stalking in from the kitchen. He shook his head, mumbling to himself.

Aria's brown eyes went wide. "What did I say?"

Renesmee grinned at her daughter, shaking her head with a laugh. "He's worried you'll drive the La Push boys wild. Distract them from their duties."

Aria made a disgusted noise as she sat down in a nearby chair. "Why would he say that? My goal here isn't to meet a guy. I just got done with college, and I want to explore and live life. Not be shackled to some pack."

Renesmee smiled, sitting on the arm of the chair where Aria was currently sprawled. "He just worries about you. You're his little girl."

"I'm not a little girl anymore though, that's just it."

"True, but….my father was protective over me, and rightfully so. I was a demon-child."

"So I've heard," Aria quipped, letting her head roll over to the side to glance up at her mother. Renesmee watched her youngest daughter look around the living room with a happy glint in her eyes. Aria had just finished college for the first time, and Renesmee was ecstatic to have her back home.

"Enough about me," Renesmee replied, standing up slowly. She rubbed her belly, giving her daughter a wink. "Bets?"

Aria grinned, following her mother into the kitchen. "I say…..girl. And….a vampy girl at that."

"You think so?"

Aria nodded, opening up the refrigerator. "I think it's time Momma's side sparkled through. Literally," she joked, pulling out a tray of baked tortellini. She grabbed a fork, digging into Esme's 'welcome home' concoction.

Her mother watched as she ate, reveling in her happiness to finally be at home. As much as she loved their various homes over the years, Forks was the only place that really felt like her roots. Over the years they had lived a variety of places: Alaska, Canada, New Hampshire, New York, and even Brazil. But no matter where she went, Forks still felt like it was where they belonged.

She wanted to have this next baby here and raise it where she had grown up herself. With a soft smile, she walked down the hall and looked at her childhood room. The furniture was still draped with white sheets, but the late afternoon light pouring through the skylight made it somehow bright and cheery.

This would be her third child. After marrying Jacob, they had briefly tried for a baby but had been unsuccessful. Year after year they had waited, and their hope had slowly faded that they would ever have children. Although he never said much about it, Renesmee knew that it broke Jacob's heart just a little more with each passing year. They had focused on their life together instead; traveling, furthering their educations, and dabbling in careers.

And still, there had been a silent hope between them.

And then there was nothing.

Time wore on, and soon the years became a decade.

As much as she had tried to not let it bother her….it had.

Nothing seemed to lighten her mood when the subject of children arose. Year after year they would receive pictures of Jacob's pack mates' children. They watched them grow and change and move on with life.

They were still happy, but something was missing.

And then, one day….

_Renesmee sat in the middle of her vegetable garden, mindlessly picking weeds from around the base of her plants. She had grown somewhat meticulous lately; the tiniest flaws suddenly bothered her when they never had before. _

_She was happy though. _

_She and Jacob were living in upstate New Hampshire, and were steadily approaching their tenth wedding anniversary in the fall. _

_Jacob was still at work for the day. He had found a job managing an antique car repair shop in town, and he was due home any second. Before she could wish for him home again, she heard his truck hit the gravel lane that led to their house._

"_Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."_

_She looked up, squinting in the afternoon sunlight. "Some seem to think so."_

_Jacob smiled down at her, his hands jammed in his pockets as he stared down at her, sitting in the middle of her garden. Her pale legs were smudged with dirt from kneeling, and her side braid had frizzed to the point of no return. _

"_You managed to not get dirt on that one part of your face there…"_

"_Oh shut it!" she giggled, wiping her cheek with her muddy hand._

_He held out his hand, helping her weave her way carefully out of her lush garden._

"_Why the big garden this year?" He asked, looking at it skeptically. _

"_Why not?"_

"_Not that I'm complaining. It's just….a new hobby."_

_She turned, hands on her hips, and surveyed the garden. "I don't know. Just felt the need to…grow something. Create?"_

_He shared her bemused look and grinned, watching as she bent down suddenly to pick a stray weed._

"_These stupid little-"_

_She didn't finish her sentence before almost toppling over. Jacob reached out, catching her before she face-planted in the mud of her garden. They both frowned as she stood up, completely perplexed. Renesmee never lost her balance._

"_Are you okay?"_

_She took a deep breath, doing a quick inventory of her body. She felt fine. In fact, she felt great. She just had gotten slightly dizzy for the first time in her life. _

"_I feel….fine, Jake…let's just…go inside."_

_However, the dizziness continued. She had two more incidents before finally packing up and driving the short distance to her grandparents house. _

"_She smells different. Is she aging?" Jacob asked, leading his wife into the house. _

_He heard Esme gasp before clamping her hand over her mouth with a squeak. He barely had time to question that before Carlisle ushered Renesmee into his office for a closer look. _

"_You sure you're feeling alright? Minus the dizzy spells?" Carlisle asked._

_She nodded, shifting nervously on the chair. "What could this mean? I've never….I mean, I don't….I haven't changed in so long. Does the dizziness mean I'm changing…or…aging?"_

_Carlisle paused, a strange smile appearing on his face._

"_What is it?" Jacob questioned. _

"_You're certainly not aging, Renesmee. But…you are in fact changing."_

_She gave him a quizzical look, and glancing at Jacob his expression matched her own. _

"_I assure you you're perfectly healthy. Listen….Can you hear your heartbeat? Strong as ever," he assured her. "But just listen."_

They had stood still and listened, and that's when she had heard it.

She had heard Caden's heart beating with her own for the first time. Her heart was so fast that both she and Jake had been unable to pick it up. However, Carlisle and Esme had heard it right away with their sensitive vampire hearing.

Carlisle was unable to get a really clear understanding of the fetus, but they guessed that her pregnancy lasted about six months. Renesmee's hard skin was just as difficult with Carlisle's ultrasound machines as it had been when she was in the womb; the sex of the baby - and identity- had been a complete surprise until the day he was born.

Caden had come into the world fairly easily. Renesmee's durable and quick-healing body had given her an advantage, and childbirth hadn't been nearly the nightmare it had been for Bella. A few hours of uncomfortable pushing and their son had entered the world. His bright green eyes were unlike anything they had ever seen; he had a full set of sharp teeth and his skin was tawny, just like Jacob's. However, he had also been born with Renesmee's exact color of wild, coppery brown hair. He aged about half as fast as she had; it had taken him nearly fifteen years to reach full maturity. Caden lived on a normal human diet, only hunting occasionally for animal blood. He was practically indifferent to human blood, never craving it or being a danger to anyone around him.

However, he did inherit one trait in particular from his father; Caden had first phased around age twelve. Renesmee had been shocked to walk into her living room one afternoon to see a gangly looking, smaller version of Jacob in wolf form standing there trembling slightly.

Closing the door to her childhood bedroom, she shuffled out to the living room to flop down on the solitary couch that had been uncovered. She could hear her daughter rummaging around in the kitchen. Jacob had gone to say hello to the members of the La Push wolf pack. They were currently without an Alpha and in need of a leader - yet another reason he was so ecstatic to return to Forks.

"What are you doing?"

Aria's voice was light, albeit slightly raspy as it always was. Her long legs easily carried her into the room where she ungracefully flopped down into a still-covered chair.

"Just resting. This kid is wearing me out."

"You think you'd be used to this by now," Aria laughed, biting into an apple. She munched quietly for a few moments, her eyes shifting around the warm room.

"I like it here. I can still have your old room, right, Mom?"

Renesmee nodded. "Of course. I don't expect you to stay at the main house all the time. We might add on a small nook for the baby. But yes, you can always stay here. Anytime."

Aria smiled, her brown eyes dancing happily. "Thanks. I'm gonna go explore for awhile. You'll be alright?"

"I'm home. I couldn't be any better," she answered. Aria stood, and soon the door opened and she heard the sound of her daughter's wolfy paws hitting the ground outside. She busied herself uncovering furniture and dusting; she was definitely in the nesting phase of her pregnancy. She wondered what the little guy inside her would be like. Honestly, she hadn't expected to get pregnant again; Caden had come nearly ten years into their marriage; it had been another eighty-five years before she found out she was pregnant with Aria.

Renesmee had accepted that there was no rhyme or reason for her pregnancies; she just learned to enjoy each and every one of them.

She heard his heavy footfalls before she saw him. He phased in the yard, pulling on a pair of sweatpants before walking inside.

"I'm home. We're home," he laughed, walking up behind her. Jacob kissed her cheek, giving her stomach a reassuring pat. She felt a flutter inside of her again.

"Where have you been?" she asked, giving him a little smile. He opened the kitchen window, grinning.

"Catching up with all the guys. There's quite a pack. Where's the kiddo?"

"She went exploring. They know she's out there, right? And she's no harm?"

Jacob shook his head. "Oh yeah. They know not to touch her. She's hard to miss. They're excited to meet her."

"She said she's not going to go joining any silly pack anytime soon," Renesmee laughed, walking over to him.

Jacob scoffed, embracing his wife tightly. "We'll see. Sometimes we behave stubbornly in the ways of….well, love and all that other junk."

"Junk, huh?" she laughed, leaning against his chest. He chuckled to himself, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame.

"She'll find her way here. It might take a little while, and…she might break a few hearts along the way…"

"But we all figure it out eventually, right?"

She turned to face him, his arms still wrapped securely around her.

"Yes…we certainly do find our way," he replied, leaning down to kiss her cheeks. She gave him a satisfied smile, wrinkling up her nose at him.

"Do you want to go visit your parents?"

She nodded. "Sure…soon. I really just want to enjoy being here for now," she replied, taking his hand. She knew her parents were still getting settled into Charlie's old house; they had purchased it and had remodeled it themselves over the course of the past few weeks. The rest of her family would be living at the main Cullen house once again, just as they had over a hundred years ago. He followed his wife out the back doors of the house, both of them walking barefoot to the backyard off the master bedroom. They stood in the garden were they had been married. Even though it was overgrown, it still looked perfect to her because of the memory of that night.

"Look familiar?" she asked. He nodded.

"I think I probably think about that day almost….everyday," he said softly, taking her hands in his.

"I think I do, too," she whispered back. The warm, late summer breeze blew around them as they stood together in the tiny, private garden. The crickets chirped soothingly, making them both smile.

"We're home, Jake."

He sighed happily, his brown eyes shifting around the canopy of leaves surrounding them. "We've waited a hundred years for this."

"I know. And it feels as good as I thought it would."

"So how about an update on that forever thing? How's it going so far?"

She giggled, swinging their hands. "I'd say pretty decent so far. You know - it has its ups and downs, but…"

"….I think we're getting the hang of it."

"It's taken us a few years, hasn't it?" She asked, playing along. He grinned widely again, nodding.

"Good to know. So if you could go back in time a hundred years, would you still tell yourself to marry me?"

"Of course. How else would I have gotten such a perfect life?" she whispered, leaning against him. Her eyes looked up at his, her uncertainties melting away with his warm gaze.

"You've given me this life….without you I was just drifting."

She grinned. "Which I'm hoping you'll forget that part in a few more years."

"Make me forget it," he pleaded with a lopsided grin.

"Haven't I already?"

"You have. Before you, my life was only half-lived."

"Getting sentimental, are we?"

"A little. I'm a sap deep down. Now….what to do you say we go unpack and go work on that whole 'rest of forever' thing. Deal?"

She nodded, letting her body mold against his in a tight embrace. "Deal."

* * *

I told myself I wouldn't cry when I finally did finish this story, and here I am: crying. My hope is that you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. I wrote this story for myself; this was my first fic. I began writing it solely for me and never planned on posting it. Although, I'm glad I posted it on a whim one day, aren't you? This has been a labor of love for me, so I truly thank you for reading.

**Another big thank you to my lovely beta, Rain-It-Shall. **She had taken her time and patience and has helped make this story what it is today. I am truly in debt to her, and she has become a great friend. Thank you.

Thank you to all of the people who have gone through and read each chapter - some of you have even commented on each one! This warms my heart and makes it all worthwhile.

I hope you enjoyed it; I tried to tie up all my loose ends, but please let me know if you have any questions.

**If you've read and enjoyed - especially this last chapter- it's my plea for you to review. I put a LOT of work into this story, and I would love to hear from you all. **

**Oh, and the chapter was written with 'Dog Days Are Over' on repeat. So yeah…listen to that song while you read : )**

**Thank you for reading ; )**


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